According to a Tuesday court filing, Mastercard has agreed to pay $26 million to settle a proposed class action lawsuit which alleged it underpaid female, Black, and Hispanic employees, as per The New York Times. Four Masterard employees who previously worked at the company believed it had hired women and workers of color into lower-paying roles. Their suspicions grew as employees received fewer raises and promotions than white men doing similar work. Additionally, the lawsuit charges Mastercard with violating federal laws banning pay discrimination and workplace sex and race bias.
Yesterday, President Trump revoked a six-decade-old executive order that prohibited workplace discrimination by federal contractors. President Lyndon Baine Johnson had signed the executive order just one year after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and months after the Voting Rights Act. Trump revokes Executive Order 11246 Executive Order 11246 stopped federal contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. This law applied to federal contractors and was implemented just two years after Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave
Amazon has changed its company policy and a part of its website that gives employment information. According to The Washington Post, it has removed language that assures protection for Black and LGBTQ+ employees. The company also removed any language that supported laws addressing misconduct and racial bias in policing, initiatives to protect and expand voting rights, and initiatives to encourage better health and educational opportunities for Black people. In December 2024, Amazon withdrew any statements advocating for transgender rights protections along with showing “solidarity” with Black employees and customers. What sections has
Walmart shareholders advise the company to rethink its decision to pull back on DEI efforts. Bloomberg reported that over 30 shareholders asked Walmart Inc. to explain why they’ve decided to retreat on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, calling the choice “disheartening.” The letter to Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon stated that the company had given in to “bullying and pressure from anti-DEI groups.” CEO of SHARE Kevin Thomas, who signed the letter, said, “It’s worrying for shareholders because management appears to be swayed by threats from internet trolls who are already
Apple has opposed a shareholder proposal to remove its DEI programs, as first reported by TechCrunch. Meanwhile, Meta and Amazon have joined the list of companies that have scaled back their DEI programs in response to anti-DEI pressure. Apple opposes anti-DEI Proposal Apple’s board of directors has opposed a proposal by the National Center for Public Policy Research (a conservative think tank) to “consider abolishing its Inclusion & Diversity program, policies, department, and goals.” In a proxy filing, Apple stated that the proposal was “unnecessary” as the company “already has
Costo is standing firm on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments despite activist investors pushing for the company to make changes in line with those seen at Walmart, John Deere, and McDonald’s. Activist investors target DEI efforts Forbes reported that a proposal from a shareholder, put forward by a conservative think tank, challenged Costco to evaluate and openly share the harm linked with its DEI policies and goals. The proposal states that the firm DEI’s plans present financial, reputational, and litigation threats that could negatively affect shareholders. In the
This year, we’ve witnessed the ripple effects of the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action in college admissions with mounting conservative pressure against DEI initiatives across industries—from retail and banking to venture capital and nonprofits. Amid these challenges, the stories that resonated most with you this year were those of resistance and resilience: stories about Black women securing capital, launching funds, and building unicorn companies. You loved the stories about employees holding their employers to account—in words and deeds—and the investors, influencers, and innovators raising the bar in their respective
Players Health, founded by former athlete Tyrre Burks, has secured $60 million in Series C funding to expand its mission of ensuring safety in youth sports. Led by Bluestone Equity Partners, the funding round also included Mosaic General Partners, RPM Ventures, SiriusPoint, and TriplePoint Capital, bringing the total raised to over $100 million. A Former Athlete’s Vision for Change Tyrre Burks founded Players Health to address the challenges he experienced as an athlete playing Division II football team while attending Winona State University, then in Europe and the Canadian Football
A US appeals court has struck down Nasdaq’s diversity disclosure rules for companies listed on the stock exhange. The rules required companies to appoint women, racial minorities, or LGBTQ+ individuals to their boards or explain why they could not. The 5th Circuit Court ruled 9-8 that the proposal was not legal and that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had overstepped by approving Nasdaq’s rule. Court Rejects SEC’s Role in Diversity Mandate Nasdaq introduced a rule requiring companies to share board diversity data and include at least one director from
Operation HOPE and Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business has announced the launch of the AI Literacy Pipeline to Prosperity Project (AILP3). This initiative aims to equip underserved populations across Georgia with the tools needed to succeed in an economy increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI). The announcement was made during the 10th Annual Hope Global Forums on December 11, 2024, an event dedicated to financial empowerment and creating pathways to economic mobility. A Comprehensive Plan to Equip Students for an AI Economy AILP3 will deliver a
