© Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
(New York, NY) – President Donald Trump is going after corporation’s “woke” culture and some are complying while others are taking a political stand. As part of a flurry of Executive Orders passed on his first day in office, Trump put an end to diversity, equity and inclusion programs within government departments. Trump also looked to stop DEI efforts in the private sectors with a separate order signed the following day titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”. Major companies have been reacting to the political headwinds by announcing the end of their DEI initiatives.
So far the major companies dropping DEI programs include Meta, Ford, McDonald’s, Walmart and Target. Statements from the companies cite the changing legal and policy landscape behind the decisions.
Meanwhile, some are pushing back and remaining firm in their commitments to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. Bulk retailer Costco shareholders rejected a proposal to evaluate the risks of their DEI program. This led to a weekend “buy-cott” event led by Reverend Al Sharpton who handed out $25 gift cards to the store, encouraging people to patronize the business. Two leading financial companies join Costco in resisting calls to drop DEI programs. A spokesperson for Goldman Sachs told ABC News that the company benefits from “diverse perspectives”. The CEO of JPMorgan Chase also signaled in a television interview that the company has zero plans to stop catering to minority customers.
