DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This framework ensures that people from different backgrounds and cultures feel included and represented. DEI requirements help safeguard against hiring with prejudice and racism. People believe that companies would hire anyone who is a POC for the sake of diversity on paper. But that is a gross misconception; DEI broadens the hiring pool. It gives hard-working citizens an equal chance at being hired compared to their white counterparts. It stops companies from making their jobs exclusive and accessible to only one group of people. Hiring someone only for their skin color isn’t a DEI standard; it’s performative activism and fake diversity; this point of view was used to instill fear and trick people into disavowing DEI programs.
On Monday, January 20th, Donald Trump signed an executive order to end DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) mandates and frameworks. Since then Companies such as Target, Meta, Amazon, Walmart, Ford, Lowes, and more have rolled back on their DEI programs and initiatives.
More specifically, Target will end its goal of promoting Black-Owned Businesses, increasing the representation of Black employees and reducing efforts to hire and encourage people of color, LGBTQ people, and veterans. Most companies will adopt this practice. All of the programs made under DEI, the programs that benefit marginally disadvantaged people, will be abandoned because it’s no longer illegal to discriminate against employees and shoppers.
Did they create those programs earnestly to benefit the people, or was it to maintain an inclusive reputation? Morbidly, this is reminiscent of when multiple states abolished Abortion the second the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and gave that decision to the states. The fact that these companies were waiting for any opportunity to slash DEI programs for their bottom line is insincere and heinous.
The second they made this move, they lost the people’s trust and love. This move solidified our belief that companies are after one thing: our wallets.
Well, it should be our goal not to give them our money. We can hit them where it hurts and destroy what they care about: Profits. Boycotting and shopping with companies that uphold their DEI properties, like COSTCO, means that you’re using your money to support businesses that uphold ethical promises. Why would you support businesses that negatively impact your community and discriminate against those around you? These companies act immorally and execute corrupt business plans because people invest their money and help them. The simplest thing we can do is to make it impossible for them to harm our community.
If we support companies that uphold ethical standards, promote DEIA initiatives, and treat their workers respectfully, we send a message to other companies. We show them the type of companies we’re willing to support. Companies that fall short of that will rethink their strategies to match the gold standards we put on businesses. People often forget that companies rely on us to consume their products. We’re the ones bankrolling their existence. Without us to support them, most companies will fail and close their stores. Why are we letting them control us when we hold their purse? When in reality, we are the ones who can control them.
If we let them get away with rolling back on DEI, what else will we let them get away with? What’s to stop them from making worse decisions? We need to use our money to enact change; the only way to do it is through boycotting unethical Companies.
