A slew of American companies have scaled back their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives over the past year amid pressure from activists and concerns over legal risks, but many are standing firm despite pushback.
Significant brands such as Walmart, McDonald’s, Amazon, Ford and Lowe’s have all begun rolling back DEI initiatives in response to a cultural shift that included customer backlash, pressure from conservative-leaning groups and activists, and possible legal ramifications.
President Donald Trump made promises during the campaign to scale back federal DEI programs. In his first week back in office, Trump signed an executive order ending DEI offices and initiatives across the federal workforce.
Trump even slammed DEI initiatives at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) during a press conference related to the deadly midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
All 64 passengers aboard the plane and the three crew members aboard the helicopter were killed.
With the investigation at such an early stage, information publicly available at this time does not suggest DEI initiatives at the FAA played any part in the crash. Still, it didn’t stop the president from signing a memorandum to end DEI practices in the aviation sector.
Despite the rollback put in place by a number of companies and the political pressure under Trump, some companies are holding fast and maintaining their DEI policies.
Here are five of the biggest companies that have doubled down on DEI:
Apple
In a proxy filing ahead of Apple’s upcoming annual meeting, the company’s board of directors urged shareholders to reject a proposal that would require the company to end its DEI programs, arguing the move would be “unnecessary.”
Costco
Costco’s board of directors came out unanimously against a proposal calling for a report on the risks associated with keeping its DEI efforts in place, and shareholders overwhelmingly rejected the measure.
Goldman Sachs
The Wall Street Journal reported that in response to being targeted by anti-DEI proposals from activist shareholders, “A Goldman spokeswoman said the bank strongly believes that organizations benefit from diverse perspectives and that it is committed to operating its programs and policies in compliance with the law.”
Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said in a CNBC interview from the World Economic Forum (WEF) that the bank will “continue to stay focused on talking to our clients and doing the things we’ve always done.”
“They think about decarbonization, they think about climate transition,” he said. “They think about their businesses, how they find talent, the diversity of the talent they find all over the world.”
JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon also defended his bank’s DEI programs in a separate CNBC interview from the WEF.
When asked about the anti-DEI push, Dimon said, “Bring them on,” adding, “We’re going to continue to reach out to the Black community, the Hispanic community, the LGBT community, the veterans community…”
Microsoft
Microsoft doubled down on its commitment to DEI in its diversity and inclusion report in October, with Chief Diversity Officer Lindsay-Rae McIntyre writing, “We continue to believe it’s the business of Microsoft to be diverse and inclusive so we can build products, services, and a workforce that empowers the world.”
McIntyre reiterated in a blog post last month that “Microsoft’s diversity and inclusion work is more important than ever.”
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