The decline and fall of DEI
Several of America’s biggest brands backpedaled on their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and programs in 2024 amid intense public scrutiny and fierce consumer backlash.
The Biden-Harris administration has led a massive push for increased DEI initiatives in the government, including President Joe Biden signing an executive order in June 2021 that established “a government-wide initiative to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” in the federal workforce. Some major companies have begun scaling back on DEI practices this year amid growing backlash, including Walmart, Boeing, Lowe’s and Ford Motors.
“American corporations realized that DEI was a loser for them in terms of doing business,” Mike Gonzalez, the Angeles T. Arredondo E Pluribus Unum senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “American people began to register their disapproval with DEI and began to see through it pretty much after 2020.”
Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, began scaling back on some of its DEI-related policies in November, including announcing it would not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center and would withdraw from the Human Rights Campaign’s equality index measuring workplace “inclusion.” The retailer will also stop using the terms “LatinX” and “DEI” in official communications, according to The Independent.
Walmart is not the only company that has recently rolled back its DEI policies — In August, major home improvement chain Lowe’s decided to dial back on some of its DEI initiatives. Robby Starbuck, a conservative activist who has been a vocal critic of various companies’ DEI practices, said in a post on X that he had messaged Lowe’s executives ahead of the company’s decision to roll back some of the DEI policies, saying that he had planned to “expose their woke policies.”
Ford Motors announced in August it would scale back its diversity policies, including vowing to stop participating in “external culture surveys.” Automakers such as Ford have faced challenges in the electric vehicle (EV) market amid lackluster consumer demand. Ford reported a $1.3 billion loss on its EV line in the first quarter. The automaker announced in August that it was canceling plans to build a three-row electric SUV and also pushed back its plans to release an electric pickup truck model until 2027.
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This is smart. Can you imagine an NBA team selecting players using DEI? The wise companies look for the best and brightest talent. Woke is a loser philosophy.
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