Target has struggled to recover from boycotts and backlash following its rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The retailer’s foot traffic has remained low, according to data from analytics platform Placer.ai. Since Q1 2024, the company’s year-over-year foot traffic changes have closely mirrored its revenue shifts, Retail Brew reports, differing by an average of just 1.2 percentage points over the past five quarters. Scaling Back DEI Efforts In January, Target announced that it would end its three-year DEI goals, conclude its Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) initiatives in
A federal judge has struck down two Trump administration directives that sought to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in schools and universities. Judge Stephanie Gallagher of the US District Court in Maryland ruled that the Department of Education violated the law when it threatened to cut federal funding from educational institutions that would maintain its DEI initiatives, The Guardian reports. The department’s guidance had been on hold since April, when three federal judges temporarily blocked parts of the department’s anti-DEI measures. Gallagher’s ruling followed a motion for summary
Leon Burns III and Open Technology Group are helping Black students pursue careers in data analytics with the DEIB in Black Analytics scholarship. Students attending Hampton University’s James T. George School of Business will be able to receive $25,000 scholarship, which will be split among five full-time junior or senior students ($5,000 per student). “The idea behind the scholarship is to get African American students into careers in data analytics. Data is shaping the way that we’re moving forward as a country business wise, on a sociological scale, economically across
Right-wing influencer Robby Starbuck has been appointed as an AI bias advisor at Meta to help the company’s chatbot be less “woke.” The announcement came after Meta settled a lawsuit filed by Starbuck, claiming that he was part of the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to MSNBC. “Since engaging on these important issues with Robby, Meta has made tremendous strides to improve the accuracy of Meta AI and mitigate ideological and political bias,” Meta and Starbuck said in a joint statement to Advocate. Who is Robby Starbuck? Starback is a former Hollywood director
President Donald Trump has signed a new order that requires universities to share detailed data on the demographics of their incoming classes each year, according to The Independent. The order will allow Department of Education officials to see if universities are still using banned programs that support underrepresented groups. A fact sheet shared with The Independent by a White House official says Trump’s presidential memorandum to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon gives her permission to require “transparency” from higher education institutions receiving federal funds in the form of student aid with a “revamp” of
The Trump Administration has cut funding for the Digital Equity Act (DEA), which was designed to address disparities in digital access across the US. The DEA aimed to tackle digital equity gaps by supporting state and local efforts to build inclusive digital infrastructure and skills programs. It encouraged comprehensive digital equity plans across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, as well as grassroots projects led by communities and coalitions. #BlackTechFutures Loses $12M Grant Fallon Wilson, the founder and executive director of the #BlackTechFutures Research Institute, received
Google has removed 58 nonprofit organizations associated with DEI from a list of organizations it funds, according to a new report by tech watchdog The Tech Transparency Project. The report references the most recent public list of organizations that receive the “most substantial contributions” from Google’s US Government Affairs and Public Policy team. The majority of the groups taken away from the list had mission statements that included he words “diversity, “equity,” “inclusion,” or “race,” “activism,” and “women.” It remains unclear whether the tech giant has ended the funding or
Vogue is receiving backlash for the use of an AI-generated model in its August issue. The double-page Guess advertisement, created by AI marketing agency Seraphinne Vallora, features a blonde model wearing two different outfits. Seraphinne Vallora specializes in “editorial-level AI-driven marketing campaigns and cinematic videos.” The agency has previously worked on editorial shoots featured in Harper’s Bazaar and Elle. Seraphinne Vallora told the BBC that it created 10 draft models for Guess cofounder Paul Marciano, who ultimately selected one brunette and one blonde. When asked about the choice of race for the model,
The Trump administration is planning to end grants related to DEI efforts, according to The New York Times. In an emergency application, lawyers for the Trump administration asked the justices to allow the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to scrap millions of grants related to DEI initiatives. Plans to cut grants related to DEI Some of the administration’s cuts to the NIH were “void and illegal,” according to Judge William G. Young of the Federal District Court of Massachusetts. The judge has accused Trump of being racially discriminatory and prejudiced against
UK lawmakers are being urged to pass legislation that would protect whistleblowers who expose employers violating DEI laws, as reported by The Guardian. The proposal was made by the Black Equity Organisation (BEO), a civil rights group, as it awaits the publication of the Equality, Race and Disability Bill, which is expected later this year. If the bill comes into effect, employers with over 250 staff workers would be obligated to show whether white and non-disabled staff are paid more than Black, minority ethnic, and disabled employees. It would also
