Just a few years ago, major companies ostentatiously adopted diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in response to the murder of George Floyd and the nationwide racial reckoning that followed. Now, some of those same companies are now backtracking on their DEI efforts—or doing away with their programs entirely.
The shift began with the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in 2023 that overturned affirmative action in the college admissions process. That was followed by an increasing cultural backlash in conservative circles against DEI policies, a phenomenon that can trace its origins from legal activist like Edward Blum to modern figureheads like Robby Starbuck.
