Walmart to roll back its DEI policies
FILE - Walmart store exterior view taken June 1, 2012 in Rosemead, California. (Photo by Getty Images/Bob Riha, Jr.)
Walmart will be rolling back its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, joining a growing list of major corporations that have been under pressure by conservative activists.
The giant retailer said on Monday that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors, according to The Associated Press.
Walmart also said it will be reviewing its grants to Pride events to make sure it is not financially supporting sexualized content targeting kids.
The company also said it would no longer consider race and gender as a way to increase diversity when it offers supplier contracts.
"We’ve been on a journey and know we aren’t perfect, but every decision comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging, to open doors to opportunities for all our associates, customers and suppliers and to be a Walmart for everyone," the company said in a statement.
Walmart confirmed the changes after conservative political commentator and anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck posted on X that he was in touch with the retailer about a story he was doing about "wokeness" and he said he ended up having "productive conversations" with Walmart.
"This is the biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America," wrote Starbuck, who has gone after companies including Deere & Co., Lowe's, Tractor Supply and Boeing.
What is DEI?
DEI policies typically are 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.
Other companies rolling back DEI
A handful of U.S. companies, including Ford, Harley-Davidson, John Deere, Lowes and Molson Coors, dialed back their DEI initiatives over the summer. The retreats came in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court outlawing affirmative action in college admissions and after conservative activists targeted the prominent American brands over their diversity policies and programs.