Apple shareholders on Tuesday rejected a proposal to abolish the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, bucking a trend of high-profile corporations abandoning such efforts in the face of growing cultural backlash and legal complications.
The proposal, put to Apple shareholders with the help of the conservative National Center for Public Policy Research think tank, called for the tech giant to eliminate its DEI programs, policies, and goals, arguing such work is discriminatory and invites legal challenges.
“The risks to Apple stemming from continuing to push these divisive and value-destroying agendas is only increasing in light of President Trump’s recent executive order focusing the Department of Justice on rooting out illegal discrimination being carried out in the name of DEI,” the center’s director, Stephen Padfield, reportedly said during the meeting. “The vibe shift is clear. DEI is out, and merit is in.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook defended the programs at the meeting, arguing, "Our strength has always come from hiring the very best people and then providing a culture of collaboration, one where people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives come together to innovate and create something magical for our users time and time again."
The executive added that the company’s never had diversity quotas.
He did note that Apple may need to tweak its diversity approach to remain in compliance with the law, in a likely nod to the Trump administration’s stance that DEI programs are discriminatory, as well as the 2023 Supreme Court decision striking down race-based affirmative action in higher education.
“As the legal landscape around these issues evolves, we may need to make some changes to comply, but our North Star of dignity and respect for everyone and our work to that end will never waver," Cook said.
Apple’s work force is roughly two-thirds male, and comprised of about 42 percent white people, 30 percent Asian people, 15 percent Latino people, and just over 9 percent Black people, according to public company statistics.
These statistics mean that white, Black, and Latino people, as well as women, are under-represented in the company’s workforce compared to their share in the wider population.
In December, Costco shareholders rejected a similar proposal from the think tank to drop corporate DEI programs.
Costco and Apple seem to be outliers, however.
Facing a new administration and the threat of boycotts from conservative activists, high-profile U.S. companies including Meta, Amazon, McDonald’s, Walmart, John Deere, and Harley-Davidson have all rolled back equity work in recent months.
The Trump administration has filed multiple executive orders seeking to eliminate diversity spending and programs inside the federal government, while pressuring private-sector companies to do the same.
