Which US companies are pulling back on diversity initiatives?
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A number of prominent companies have scaled back or set aside the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that much of corporate America endorsed following the protests that accompanied the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, a Black man, in 2020.
Emboldened by a U.S. Supreme Court decision that outlawed affirmative action in college admissions, conservative activists have used the courts and social media to target workplace programs. They've targeted corporate sponsorships, employee-led affinity groups, and hiring practices that prioritize historically marginalized groups.
DEI policies typically were intended as a counterweight to discriminatory practices. Critics argue that education, government and business programs which single out participants based on factors such as race, gender and sexual orientation are unfair and the same opportunities should be afforded to everyone.
These are some of companies that have retreated from DEI:. Meta Platforms. The parent company of Facebook and Instagram said it was getting rid of its diversity, equity and inclusion program, which featured policies for hiring, training and picking vendors.
Like other companies that announced similar changes before Meta, the social media giant said it had been reviewing the program's since the Supreme Court's July 2023 affirmative action ruling. Citing an internal memo sent to employees, news website Axios said the Menlo Park, California-based tech giant concluded the ruling signaled “a shift in how courts will approach DEI.".
