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Is DEI about to DIE?
Big brands and universities have been rolling back DEI programs. Is it part of a bigger trend?
The divisive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) movement has taken a hit — but is it knocked out? In recent weeks, grassroots action has pushed major corporations and universities to backtrack on their DEI initiatives. Some recent highlights:
Tractor Supply Company was first on the chopping block. In a statement released on June 27, Tractor Supply responded to customers disappointed with DEI with an assertion that, going forward, the company will cease to participate in the radical LGBTQ Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) deceptively titled “Corporate Equality Index,” refocus employee engagement on professional development, and eliminate all DEI roles in the company.
Molson Coors joined in short order after conservative activist and filmmaker Robby Starbuck messaged Coors executives pledged to expose the company’s woke workplace policies. Coors decided announced the suspension of all DEI trainings, ended the practice of tying compensation to “diversity,” and also terminated involvement with the HRC “Corporate Equality Index.”
Starbuck was set similarly expose Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, but before he could go public Brown-Forman Corporation (the parent company of Jack Daniel’s) rolled back their DEO programs, saying they will no longer tie incentives to diversity benchmarks, but job performance instead (what a concept!). Brown-Forman, too, ended their participation in the HRC “Corporate Equality Index.”
Starbuck struck again at auto manufacturer Ford, which soon released a statement saying that they would still celebrate diversity, but would no longer use quotas, conduct DEI trainings, and also stop providing data to the HRC “Corporate Equality Index.”
Harley-Davidson faced backlash once their core customer base learned of its tone-deaf DEI commitments. The motorcycle manufacturer posted a public statement saying, “we have not operated a DEI function since April 2024, and we do not have a DEI function today.” Harley-Davidson also announced the end of hiring and supply spending quotas and a commitment to focus on professional development, rather than DEI.
Over in academia, universities retreated from the DEI agendas they once proudly proclaimed. The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) restructured their DEI department after their board of governors cut DEI-specific positions in June. Chancellor Aswani K. Volety announced UNCW had closed its Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion (OIDI) and eliminated its chief diversity officer position — but the school also stated it would be moving OIDI cultural centers into the office of Student Affairs and repositioning faculty members into other positions on the campus. Did UNCW end DEI or just shuffle the deck?
On August 20, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) disbanded their Office of Diversity and Inclusion. In an email to employees, Chancellor Rodney Bennett said that this decision was made “after considerable reflection and a thorough review of both the national landscape and the specific needs of our institution.” UNL will be “reimagining” how they approach DEI on campus but will no longer be taking the centralized approach pushed by the woke left.
After Virginia Governor Glen Younkin requested to view DEI instruction at George Mason University, the school announced that students would no longer be required to take DEI courses to graduate. A Youngkin spokesman said the governor “had heard concerns from parents and students about ‘a thinly veiled attempt to incorporate the progressive left’s groupthink on Virginia’s students.’” The university’s new DEI rules were set to go into effect during the fall 2024 semester, but the school decided to delay the implementation to allow their Board of Visitors to vote on the curriculum change. It is unclear how the board will vote and if the DEI requirement is truly gone.
All in all, DEI initiatives at universities and corporations are being pushed out by some and redefined by others. Do these developments point to DEI in decline? Only time will tell.