Summary
Walmart is scaling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts amid conservative backlash and changing cultural pressures.
The company removed LGBTQ-themed items, stopped sharing data with advocacy groups, and phased out supplier diversity programs and its Center for Racial Equity, created in 2020.
Walmart also rebranded its diversity roles, though it will continue funding events like Pride parades under stricter guidelines.
Activists opposing DEI policies, like Robby Starbuck, have praised these changes.
This decision was no doubt motivated by the exact same question that made them put that merchandise up in the first place: “what will result in us earning more profit?”
I’d like to see hard data on whether or not being “anti-woke” generates more profit. I’ve never seen evidence that it does.