Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is rolling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, following a trend among major corporations facing pressure from conservative activists.
The big picture: The changes include not renewing commitments for equity and racial centers, pulling out of gay rights indexes, and not giving priority treatment to suppliers based on race or gender.
Driving the news: Conservative groups have filed lawsuits targeting workplace initiatives such as diversity programs and hiring practices, and several companies, including Ford and Lowes, have announced rolling back their initiatives following pressure from activists.
Zoom in: Walmart confirmed that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to ensure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors, and it will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test for improving diversity in supplier contracts.
- The company will also not renew a racial equity center established through a philanthropic commitment and will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index measuring workplace inclusion for LGBTQ employees.
Flashback: These changes come after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling ending affirmative action in college admissions, and amid pressure from conservative groups and figures critical of DEI initiatives.
