They are reversing course.
McDonald’s has announced plans to scale back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, following growing conservative calls to dismantle affirmative action. The company is the latest in a series of major corporations reexamining their DEI strategies, which include hiring quotas and diversity training programs.
Robby Starbuck, a filmmaker and outspoken anti-DEI advocate, shared the news on social media, explaining that McDonald’s would be eliminating race-based hiring quotas and ending its use of the Corporate Equality Index, which promotes hiring based on sexual orientation. Additionally, the company will no longer prioritize suppliers based on diversity quotas.
Starbuck claimed that these changes reflect a broader trend, stating, “We’ve influenced policies at companies worth over $2.3 trillion, benefiting millions of employees with improved work environments.” He emphasized that their campaigns were having such a strong impact that companies were revising their policies even before he publicized them, adding that the era of “wokeness” was coming to an end and that corporate America was shifting toward more neutral practices.
Other companies, including Tractor Supply, Harley-Davidson, Caterpillar, Toyota, and Boeing, have also distanced themselves from the Corporate Equality Index. Some brands, like John Deere, Lowe’s, and Ford, have pulled back from sponsoring Pride events, while Molson Coors and Walmart have removed diversity quotas for their suppliers. Many social media users expressed support for the conservative push, applauding the campaign’s success in influencing corporate policies.
