Many companies across the nation have recently changed their tune on diversity, equity and inclusion.
In 2020, after George Floyd was murdered by a white police officer who assisted in his arrest, several large companies committed to implementing DEI policies in their workplaces after the incident brought to light many inequities Black people face in America.
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The goal of these policies was to advance opportunities in the workplace for people of various backgrounds.
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However, companies have recently opted to put DEI on the chopping block amid recent pushback from conservative consumers and growing legal concerns stemming from the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2023 to end affirmative action in college admissions.Â
Companies such as Harley-Davidon, Tractor Supply (TSCO) , Lowe’s, Walmart, etc., opted to scale back their DEI policies last year. In January, Amazon, McDonald’s, Target, Meta, and other large companies followed in their footsteps.
These cuts to DEI have become especially popular after President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Jan. 21 dismantling the federal government’s DEI programs. In the executive order, he claimed that the programs enforce “illegal and immoral discrimination.”
Consumers are planning to send a tough message to large retailers
As DEI continues to disappear from large corporations, consumers are starting to fight back.
On Feb. 28, consumers are planning to boycott large retailers for 24 hours to protest the scaling back and elimination of DEI policies in corporate America and to take a stance against corruption in multiple industries. Some of the retailers being targeted include Walmart, Amazon and Target.
A Target customer looks at a display of board games while shopping at Target store.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The protest is being heavily promoted by The People’s Union, which dubbed the boycott an “economic blackout.” The group is encouraging consumers to avoid spending money in stores or online all day on Feb. 28, and if they need to purchase emergency essentials, they are advised to support a local small business.
The group’s founder, John Schwarz, made multiple Instagram posts spreading the word about the boycott, many of which have gone viral.
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“Corporations profit off of our labor while keeping wages low. Banks steal billions through inflation and predatory policies,” said Schwarz in a viral video on Instagram on Feb. 4. “Politicians accept bribes disguised as donations, while ignoring the people. They have taken everything from us while convincing us that we should be grateful for the scraps, and that ends now. On Feb. 28, we are going to remind them who really holds the power.”
Schwarz also said in the video that the group will be planning additional boycotts if the one on Feb. 28 doesn’t yield positive results.
“A 24-hour blackout is just the first step, it’s a test,” said Schwarz in the video. “If enough of us participate, they will feel it. If they don’t listen, we escalate. The next one will last for three days. The next one will target specific industries. The next one forces them to respond. And this is not just a boycott, this is economic warfare.”
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The boycott comes after Target faced boycott calls last month from labor advocacy group We Are Somebody as a result of the retailer rolling back its DEI initiatives.
Large companies recently suffered boycotts for ‘going woke’
Last year, a handful of large companies even faced boycott threats from conservative consumers for having DEI policies in place, and the efforts appeared to have pushed those companies to erase those initiatives.
For example, in June last year, conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who has a large following on X, criticized Tractor Supply for “going woke” and encouraged his followers to boycott the retailer until it cut its DEI policies. By July, Tractor Supply axed its DEI initiatives.
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Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s, and John Deere also quickly cut their DEI initiatives after they faced boycott threats from conservative consumers.
In 2023, Bud Light (BUDFF) suffered a massive boycott after consumers took issue with the brand featuring transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a social media campaign. Some consumers disliked Mulvaney’s advocacy for transgender rights and criticized Bud Light for “going woke.”
The boycott appears to have led Bud Light to experience revenue declines for several financial quarters. The brand also lost its spot as the top-selling beer brand in America.
Target also faced a boycott from conservative consumers that same year over its pride collection containing items that were marketed towards children. The retailer has struggled with weak sales ever since.
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