Growing up on the northside of Denver, I was surrounded by a diverse community with a rich history. There, I learned about resilience, about neighbors looking out for each other, and about the importance of always standing up for what’s right. This lesson has guided my 20 years of progressive activism throughout Colorado, from my work to protect reproductive rights to my work to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all Coloradans. 

As someone who fights for a fairer and just society, I paid attention when big box retailers began speaking the language of diversity and equity several years ago. Companies like Walmart, Target and Home Depot positioned themselves as allies of marginalized communities. The stores launched supplier diversity programs, implemented DEI training, and claimed to share our values of inclusion and justice. Walmart even founded its nonprofit to advance racial justice. Corporate America finally understood that it also had a role to play in helping us build stronger, more inclusive communities. 

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However, my years in progressive organizing have also taught me an important lesson: Watch what someone does, not just what they say.

When Donald Trump returned to the White House and demanded an end to diversity initiatives, the big retailers bent the knee. Walmart stopped funding its racial justice nonprofit. Target abandoned its supplier diversity program, taking away opportunities from minority businesses that are often overlooked. Even Home Depot dropped mentions of diversity from its website and its annual report to investors. As a result of the anti-diversity push, events like Denver Pride have lost significant funding this year. 

The retailers betrayed our communities, hoping we wouldn’t notice, but we did. That’s why the Rocky Mountain NAACP encouraged shoppers in our state to take their business to the retailers who refused to cave on diversity issues, and consumers all over the nation launched boycotts of Walmart and Target.

What makes it worse is that in many marginalized and rural communities, big box stores are often the only place to shop. People rely on them for everyday essentials. When these companies cut diversity programs or raise prices, it harms those who need them most. It shouldn’t be too much to ask these companies to consider their customers. 

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Diversity isn’t the only issue where the retailers are failing us, though. Every Coloradan has seen the cost of groceries skyrocket. As of 2023, Coloradans pay 19% more than the national average for groceries. Why? During COVID, it was because some retailers took advantage of supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic to jack up prices on consumers. A Federal Trade Commission report last year found that food and beverage retailer revenues increased more than 7% over total costs in the first three quarters of 2023. A senior executive at a major grocery chain even admitted that the store raised prices on basic necessities beyond what was necessary.

This summer, Trump’s tariffs are giving the stores an excuse to play the same pricing tricks. Many believe the stores will use the economic chaos caused by tariffs as cover for yet another chance to pad their bottom lines at our expense. It may have already started. Walmart and Target have announced price increases to varying degrees, even as tariffs have been removed or paused.  

Also troubling, the stores have new technology that they can deploy to trick consumers. Across the nation, Walmart, Kroger, and other stores are rolling out digital price labels, which replace paper shelf prices with electronic screens. With digital price labels, stores can change prices on goods storewide with a few keystrokes. Democratic members of Congress, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, have voiced concern that this technology could lead to “surge pricing” for groceries on days with high demand or when stores feel like they can squeeze a little more from their customers. Some states have moved to ban or limit this technology. Colorado ought to consider the same.  

As retailers prepare once again to manipulate prices, our elected leaders in Washington, D.C., and Denver need to pay close attention. They need to demand transparency in pricing practices to make sure consumers aren’t being exploited in times of economic uncertainty. 

Big box retailers have made clear they will shift with the political winds and use every trick in the book to maximize their profits. Our leaders should not let them get away with it.