Walmart will soon become the world's largest retailer to retract diversity, equity and inclusion policies following criticism received from conservative commentators aiming to perpetuate "anti-wokeness."
Walmart announced the changes on Monday, which include the end of a five-year commitment to an equity racial center set up in 2020 following the killing of George Floyd, which will not be renewed once time runs out. Furthermore, the company will not give priority treatment to suppliers based on gender and will be pulling out of a prominent gay rights index, reported NPR.
"This is the biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America," conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck wrote on X, revealing that he had been in conversation with Walmart prior to the announcement.
MASSIVE news: Walmart is ending their woke policies. I can now exclusively tell you what’s changing and how it happened.
Last week I told execs at @Walmart that I was doing a story on wokeness there. Instead we had productive conversations to find solutions.
Below are the… pic.twitter.com/BD02xJQ0X2
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) November 25, 2024
In June 2023, the Supreme Court delivered a long-awaited verdict in the case Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. (SFFA) v. President & Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard) in which they ended the practice of affirmative action, deeming it unconstitutional. The Supreme Court precedent has encouraged "anti-woke" activists to call out other brands and companies for their inclusive policies.
Starbuck himself has repeatedly called out companies with corporate DEI policies on X (formerly Twitter). This includes companies such as Ford, Harley-Davidson, Lowe's and Tractor Supply, all of whom have rolled back DEI initiatives.
The racial equality center that Walmart will not renew its commitment to was established through the years-long mandate. The company had made a $100 million commitment to "address the root causes of gaps in outcomes experienced by Black and African American people in education, health, finance and criminal justice systems."
"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," Walmart said in a statement.
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