Bullying Works: World's Largest Retailer Reverses Diversity Push

Walmart has joined the growing list of major corporations stepping away from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

This decision is likely to be welcomed by Americans who are increasingly frustrated with what they see as “woke nonsense.”

The change follows pressure from conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who had threatened to call for a pre-Black Friday boycott to spotlight the retailer’s “woke” policies.

Starbuck, known for his influence on the social media platform X, where he has over 700,000 followers, has made ending DEI initiatives a personal crusade.

In a post on Monday, Starbuck shared that Walmart representatives contacted him when they learned he was scrutinizing the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company. See Starbuck’s post here.

“We were able to have frank conversations with Walmart, and as I’ve said for a long time, I don’t ask companies to take on my political views. I am simply advocating for corporate neutrality,” Starbuck explained. “I am not OK with left-wing policies being forced on me and people like me via things like DEI.”

He emphasized his mission to “change corporate America and get them back to a policy of sanity and neutrality.”

Bloomberg highlighted Starbuck’s apparent influence in Walmart’s Monday announcement.

The retailer confirmed it will no longer participate in the pro-LGBTQ Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.

Additionally, Walmart has stated it will not carry certain sexual or transgender-themed products targeted at children.

The company is also discontinuing its racial equity training and will cease funding the Racial Equity Center, which was established in 2020 in the wake of the George Floyd protests. Furthermore, Walmart will no longer evaluate suppliers based on specific demographic criteria.

While Bloomberg noted Walmart's ethnically diverse workforce—over half of its 1.6 million U.S. employees are people of color—the retailer’s policy shift signals a significant change.

Starbuck noted that other companies pulling back on DEI policies include Tractor Supply, John Deere, Harley Davidson, Polaris, Indian Motorcycle, Lowe’s, Ford, Coors, Stanley Black & Decker, Jack Daniels, DeWalt tools, Craftsman, Caterpillar, Boeing, and Toyota.

According to Walmart, these changes had been in the works for months, but Starbuck’s involvement may have accelerated the timeline.

Bloomberg also pointed out that the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2023 ruling against affirmative action in college admissions has caused corporations to reassess their DEI policies for fear of similar legal challenges.

NPR reported, “A Walmart spokesperson said some of its policy changes have been in progress for a while. For example, it has been moving away from using the word DEI in job titles and communications and started to use the word ‘belonging.'”

For critics of wokeness, Walmart’s decision marks a step in the right direction. Companies reconsidering such policies indicate a broader shift is underway.