Which Companies Are Rolling Back Programs Vs. Standing Firm?

Many companies are rethinking their Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts amid a shifting political landscape and mounting anti-DEI pressure.

President Donald Trump’s recent decision to revoke a decades-old executive order that prohibited workplace discrimination by federal contractors is just the latest in his string of attacks on DEI in the first few days of his presidency. While Trump’s initial focus has been DEI in the government, the subsequent impact on the private sector is yet to be determined.

Several leading companies have rolled back DEI programs in response to these political changes and pressure from right-wing investors. Meanwhile, others have taken the opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to fostering diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces.

Here’s a roundup of some of the latest announcements and changes from the nation’s leading companies.

Target

Target recently announced that it would end its DEI programs as Kiera Fernandez, Target’s chief community impact and equity officer, said that these changes reflect a “next chapter in the company’s ten-year long process to create “inclusive work and guest environments that welcome all,” Associated Press news reported.

In a memo Target shared on Friday, 24 January, Fernandez wrote, “And as a retailer that serves millions of consumers every day, we understand the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape, now and in the future.”

Amazon

In December 2024, Candi Castleberry, a senior human resources executive at Amazon, sent a memo saying the company was winding down “outdated programs and materials” after analyzing hundreds of initiatives,

“Rather than have individual groups build programs, we are focusing on programs with proven outcomes — and we also aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture,” Castleberry said. However, a spokesperson for Amazon refused to share the details the company would make.

Additionally, Amazon recently changed its company policy and a part of its website that gives employment information. It also removed language that assures protection for Black and LGBTQ+ employees, according to The Washington Post.

Apple

In January, Apple’s board of directors opposed a proposal by the National Center for Public Policy Research (a conservative think tank) to “consider abolishing its Inclusion & Diversity program, policies, department, and goals.”

In a proxy filing, Apple stated that the proposal was “unnecessary” as the company “already has a well-established compliance program” to guard against potential legal challenges. “We strive to create a culture of belonging where everyone can do their best work,” the company added.

Costco

On Thursday, 23 January, Costco shared that it rejected a proposal asking the company to asses any risks presented by its DEI practices. The National Center for Public Policy Research submitted a proposal suggesting that Costco’s DEI initiatives hold “litigation, reputational and financial risks to the company, and therefore financial risks to shareholders,” according to Associated Press News.

Costco had previously affirmed DEI efforts as fundamental to its business growth and operational success and stated that its supplier base “fosters creativity and innovation.”

E.L.F.

Beauty brand E.L.F. recently reaffirmed its commitment to DEI at the company. In an interview with CNN last week, Tarang Amin, the CEO of beauty brand E.L.F. said, “There’s nothing wrong with being Richard, Rick, or Dick, but we wanted to shine a light on ‘let’s give other people a chance’ because we’ve seen the benefits in our own business.”

Amin explains that E.LF. has seen the benefits of having a diverse workforce, as 75% of its roughly 500 employees are women, and 40% are people of color, as per CNN. “Diverse voices actually help us because they’re bringing different perspectives,” Amin added.

John Deere

In July 2024, John Deere announced they would no longer support “social or cultural awareness” events. “The existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification has never been and are not company policy,” the company said in a statement posted on X.

The company shared that it would analyze all training materials “to ensure the absence of socially-motivated messages,” align with federal and local laws, CNN reported. Anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck said this was another huge win in our war on wokeness,” but suggested that John Deere should roll back on all of its DEI efforts.

Eric Bloem, vice president of programs and corporate advocacy at the Human Rights Campaign, said the move was “disappointing” and “a direct result of a coordinated attack by far-right extremists on American business.”

JPMorgan

During the January World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the CEO of JPMorgan, Jamie Dimon, stood firm on its DEI commitments after facing pressure from an anti-DEI shareholder.

The National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative nonprofit, suggested that the company assess how executive compensation is linked to the company’s racial equity goal.

“We are going to continue to reach out to the Black community, the Hispanic community, the LGBT community, the veterans community,” Dimon said in response to the activist.

McDonald’s

At the beginning of January, McDonald’s announced that it would reduce its DEI initiatives; in an email sent out to staff by employees, CEO Chris Kempczinski explained that it examined “all aspects of inclusion” across its system in 2024. The memo shared that they are ending their “aspirational representation goals” and will focus on extending its embedded inclusion practices that help them grow the business.   

“We are retiring setting aspirational representation goals and instead keeping our focus on continuing to embed inclusion practices that grow our business into our everyday process and operations,” Kempczinski shared.

Paul Modley, managing director of DEIB at talent solutions firm AMS, told HR magazine “It’s disappointing to see increased reports of organizations scaling back their DEI efforts in response to the US Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling and political pressure.”

Meta

Janelle Gale, vice president of human resources, said Meta was pivoting away from DEI as the “legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing,” on Friday, 11 January.

The announcement came just days after the company discontinued its fact-checking system in favor of a community notes model like that seen on X. Meta’s DEI team will move away from focusing on diversity and inclusion. Instead, Maxine Williams, the company’s chief diversity officer’s role, will focus on accessibility and engagement.

Walmart

Walmart decided to discontinue multiple diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in its workplaces in December. This plan to phase out DEI efforts was made public by anti-DEI conservative activist Robby Starbuck.

Walmart’s changes include closing the company’s racial equity center, phasing out the use of words like ‘DEI and ‘Latinx’, evulating supplier diversity programs to ensure that companies do not get special treatment based on race, ending racial equity training programs.