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The anticipated reaction to corporations pulling back from their commitment to DEI programs has finally arrived, with a coalition of civil rights organizations putting out a joint statement in defence of the initiatives.
An open letter from 19 prominent civil rights organizations has been issued to CEOs and board members of Fortune 1000 companies, urging them to uphold their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the face of mounting opposition.
The letter, signed by organizations including the NAACP, National Organization for Women, League of United Latin American Citizens, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, argues that companies abandoning DEI programs are neglecting their fiduciary duty to employees, consumers, and shareholders.
This call to action comes in response to recent decisions by several major corporations to scale back their DEI policies. Companies such as Ford, Lowe's, John Deere, Molson Coors, and Harley-Davidson have announced reductions in their DEI commitments following pressure from conservative activists.
The pushback against DEI has gained momentum partly due to the efforts of TikTok influencer Robby Starbuck, who has successfully encouraged companies like Ford, Jack Daniels, John Deere, and Harley-Davidson to retreat from their previous DEI pledges.
Divesting from DEI
The civil rights groups, which also include UnidosUS, the Urban League, Advocates for Trans Equality, the National Women's Law Center, and the American Association of People with Disabilities, warn that divesting from DEI could alienate a broad spectrum of consumers.
Many corporations have been reassessing their diversity programs following a Supreme Court decision last year that declared race-based affirmative action in college admissions unconstitutional. This ruling has sparked dozens of similar cases challenging employer DEI initiatives.
Critics of DEI programs argue that such initiatives provide benefits to specific racial or sexual orientation groups while excluding others. The coalition of civil rights organizations, however, maintains that DEI programs are not only sound business practice but are also widely popular among the public, consumers, and employees.
The letter characterizes the opposition to DEI as coming from "a small, well-funded, and extreme group of right-wing activists" attempting to pressure companies into abandoning their programs. As this debate continues, the response of Fortune 1000 companies to this appeal from civil rights organizations could significantly impact the future of corporate DEI initiatives.
Push back has also come from worker organizations including the Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United, the country’s oldest and largest restaurant workers group representing 65,000 professionals nationwide.
“Coors and Jack Daniel’s are cowards, pure and simple,” it said in a statement. “They are caving to political attacks and turning their backs on the people who keep their businesses running. This is particularly absurd for Jack Daniel’s, since a formerly enslaved man taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. Every day, restaurant workers of all backgrounds serve their products. Coors and Jack Daniel’s depend on our labor but don’t think we belong in their business. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not abstract concepts – they affect real people who deserve workplaces where they feel welcomed, supported, and valued.”
