Meta Platforms Inc., which includes Facebook and Instagram, has joined a growing list of companies that have resisted diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Like others, the social media conglomerate cited a July 2023 decision by the United States Supreme Court that outlawed affirmative action in college admissions.
Counterweights to Discrimination Seen as Unfair
DEI policies have typically been seen as counterweights to discriminatory practices. However, critics have argued that education, government, and business programs that single out participants based on race, gender, and sexual orientation are unfair and that these same opportunities should be afforded to everything.
Meta’s global policy chief, Joel Kaplan, told Fox Fox News Digital that the move will ensure the company is building teams with “the most talented people” rather than making hiring decisions based on specific characteristics.
“This is ultimately about doing what’s best for our company and ensuring that we are serving everyone and building teams with the most talented people,” Kaplan said. “This means evaluating people as individuals, and sourcing people from a range of candidate pools, but never making hiring decisions based on protected characteristics like race or gender.”
Other Companies Retreating From DEI Practices
Several companies have retreated from using diversity, equity, and inclusion practices within their businesses. These include:
McDonald’s
Four years after launching its push for more diversity, McDonald’s said earlier that it is ending some diversity practices, citing the US Supreme Court decision.
McDonald’s stated on January 6 that it will retire specific goals for diversity achievements at senior leadership levels and end a program that encourages suppliers to develop diversity training and increase the number of minority members represented in their leadership ranks.
Walmart
The largest retailer in the world confirmed this past November that it would not renew a five-year commitment to an equity racial center established in 2020 and would stop participating in the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index.
Walmart has also said that it will monitor its third-party marketplace to ensure that items sold there do not include products aimed at LGBTQ+ monitors, which include chest binders intended for transgender youth.
Ford
CEO Jim Farley sent a memo to employees in August outlining changes to the company’s policies, including a decision to stop participating in the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index.
He wrote that Ford had been reviewing its policies for a year and remained committed to “fostering a safe and inclusive workplace.”
“We will continue to put our effort and resources into taking care of our customers, our team, and our communities versus publicly commenting on the many polarizing issues of the day,” the memo stated.
Lowe’s
Lowe’s executive leadership had begun “reviewing” its programs following the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling. Previously, the company had “individual groups representing diverse sections of our associate population.”
The retailer will no longer participate in the HRC Index and sponsor events outside its business areas.
John Deere
The farm equipment maker would no longer sponsor “social or culture awareness” events in July.
Moline, Illinois-based John Deere stated, “The existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not company policy.”
Tractor Supply
In June, the retailer indicated that it would end an array of corporate diversity and climate efforts, eliminate all of its DEI roles while retiring current DEI goals, and “stop sponsoring non-business activities.”
Conservative Activists Behind the Push
Conservative activists have targeted companies in court and on social media, seeking to set a similar precedent within the corporate world. They have targeted workplace initiatives such as diversity programs and hiring practices that prioritize historically marginalized groups and have widened their stances to include programs that have focused on gender identity and sexual orientation.
