Jonathan Butcher
Businesses and corporations are beginning to remove their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statements from their websites and are removing DEI staff amidst growing criticism of the racist policies. In fact, a writer for Forbes called the wave of companies rescinding these woke positions in 2023 and 2024 “a widespread withdrawal from DEI.” Some companies are releasing public statements about their recissions with others “quietly [dialing] back DEI efforts.”REF In 2024, activist Robbie Starbuck exposed the DEI materials used by several companies, including Tractor Supply and John Deere, and both companies rescinded their DEI statements after the public backlash that followed on social media and news outlets.REF
Other large companies have done the same, making the trend away from DEI initiatives, such as race-based hiring, unmistakable. In June 2023, The Wall Street Journal reviewed nearly 600 earnings calls from April to June and found mentions of DEI or environmental, social, and governance (ESG) measures, a radical social and corporate movement on climate and racial issues, had fallen 31 percent from the period in 2022.REF This year, left-leaning lawmakers noticed the trend and sent a letter to Fortune 1000 businesses claiming that “inclusion is a core American value, and a great business practice” and called on the companies to keep their DEI practices, when in fact DEI sours corporate culture and is ineffective.REF
Despite these examples of companies retreating from DEI, nearly all Fortune 500 companies still list commitments to DEI on their websites. This Backgrounder reviews the DEI statements or other documents indicating DEI positions, such as ESG statements and annual reports, and finds that 486 of the top 500 still have some statement or corporate commitment to DEI provided on their websites. (See the appendix.) Again, when companies abandon DEI for merit-based or colorblind hiring practices or operations, some are more open about the move than others. » Read More
https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/report/restoring-equality-employment-sinking-the-dei-ship