DEI Boycott List: All Companies That Ended DEI Policies, Confirmed

Just a few years ago, corporate America loudly promised commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). After 2020’s racial justice movements, many pledged to build more inclusive workplaces. Fast forward to 2024, and those commitments are quietly fading, with companies scaling back DEI efforts despite their once-bold declarations.

From Wall Street giants to fast food chains, major corporations are quietly backing away from their DEI commitments. Some are citing legal challenges, others are responding to political pressure, and a few are just hoping nobody notices. But guess what? People are noticing, and they’re not happy.

Why are companies ditching DEI?

DEI initiatives were originally designed to address systemic inequalities in hiring, promotions, and business opportunities for underrepresented groups. But conservative activists and legal challenges have been chipping away at these efforts, with claims that DEI programs discriminate against other groups. 

Now, with recent Supreme Court rulings and executive orders from Donald Trump targeting DEI policies, companies are folding under the pressure. Companies facing lawsuits or conservative backlash have started scaling back their diversity initiatives, either out of fear or simply as a way to reverse course quietly.

Who’s rolling back DEI policies?

Here’s a list of companies that have confirmed they’re stepping away from DEI commitments:

• PepsiCo – Ending DEI goals for managerial roles and suppliers.
• Goldman Sachs – Dropped board of directors diversity requirements.
• Google – Abandoned its goal to increase underrepresented leadership by 30%.
• Target – Shutting down its Black-focused employee program and supplier diversity efforts.
• Meta (Facebook & Instagram) – Eliminating DEI hiring policies and dismantling internal DEI teams.
• Amazon – Quietly ending some DEI programs with little transparency.
• McDonald’s – Retiring diversity goals for senior leadership and supplier programs.
• Walmart – Ending its five-year racial equity commitment and LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion efforts.
• Ford – Withdrawing from corporate diversity rankings and pausing supplier diversity initiatives.
• Lowe’s – Consolidating employee resource groups and ending sponsorships for DEI-related events.
• Harley-Davidson – Reviewing partnerships and ending workplace equality rankings.
• John Deere – Ending sponsorships of social awareness events and removing DEI-related training.
• Tractor Supply – Eliminating DEI roles and withdrawing from climate and social equity initiatives.
• Coca-Cola, Disney, Deloitte, GM, PayPal, Chipotle, Comcast, Accenture, Boeing, Molson Coors, Brown-Forman (Jack Daniels) – Also confirmed to be scaling back DEI initiatives.

The boycott

Consumers aren’t taking this rollback lightly. Grassroots movements, faith leaders, and social justice advocates are organizing economic resistance campaigns in response to the dismantling of DEI initiatives.

The People’s Union USA has called for additional blackout periods:

• A 24-hour spending blackout on February 28, March 28, and April 18.
• A 40-day Target boycott from March 5 to April 13 (coinciding with Lent).
• A weeklong Amazon boycott from March 7 to March 14.
• A weeklong Walmart boycott from April 7 to April 13.

A Black faith coalition leader Bishop Reginald Jackson emphasized the power of economic pressure: “We’ve got to tell corporate America that there’s a consequence for turning their back on diversity,” he said.

Let’s make a difference!

There’s a serious precedent for success. The Starbucks boycott, sparked by pro-Palestine protests, reportedly cost the company millions in missed revenue. If similar pressure builds around these DEI rollbacks, corporations might have to reconsider their positions.

At the end of the day, corporate America thrives on consumer dollars. If enough people show they care about diversity and inclusion by withholding their spending, it could force these companies to rethink their decisions.