IBM has agreed to pay $17 million to the US Department of Justice to settle allegations of illegal DEI practices, as CNN reported. The DOJ believes that the tech company engaged in illegal DEI practices” by factoring in “race, color, national origin, or sex” when hiring or promoting employees. The settlement “IBM is pleased to have resolved this matter. Our workforce strategy is driven by a single principle: having the right people with the right skills that our clients depend on,” an IBM spokesperson told TechCrunch. In May 2025, the
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from asking universities to collect race information when admitting new students, according to Reuters. Colleges that participate in federal student financial programs were asked to share data on students’ race and sex. The department would use the information to monitor its compliance with the US Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that ended affirmative action in higher education. But US District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV in Boston issued a temporary restraining order. Trump’s adminstration asking colleges to collect data about race The data
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is scrapping grants helping farmers secure land, according to POLITICO. Around $300 million was set aside to support nonprofits, tribal governments, and other organizations. These programs were created by The Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program and gave underrepresented farms access to capital, planning, and efforts to reduce land loss. A letter shared with POLITICO said that the program “involved discriminatory preferences based on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” and “wasteful spending.” Scrapping grants for underserved farmers “USDA will prioritize unity, equality, meritocracy, and color-blindness in furtherance
A judge has granted two Black women permission to proceed with their lawsuit against McDonald’s, Reuters reported. In the lawsuit, Victoria Guster-Hines and Domineca, two former McDonald’s VPs, claim that they faced discrimination because they were Black women and forced to leave after speaking up. The lawsuit is filed against McDonald’s USA, LLC; McDonald’s Corp.; Steven Easterbrook; Christopher Kempczinski; and Charles Strong. In a 2020 lawsuit, a regional president critiqued “Black woman attitude” and said that one of the plaintiffs and other McDonald’s employees were “angry Black women,” according to
Pastor Jamal Bryant announced on March 11 that the yearlong “Target Fast” had come to an end, following a meeting with Target CEO Michael Fiddelke. Bloomberg reported that Bryant cited progress on several key demands, including Target’s pledge to fulfil its $2 billion commitment to Black-owned businesses and a new employee inclusion programme called “Belonging.” But the women who organised the boycott before Bryant joined it have disputed both the announcement and his authority to make it. The boycott did not start with Bryant. On February 1, 2025, Minneapolis civil rights attorney Nekima
Target announced it will cut 1,800 corporate jobs after trying to grow following four years of roughly stagnant sales and boycotts amid DEI backlash. In a memo sent to staff, Target’s incoming CEO, Michael Fiddelke, said the eliminated roles include about 1,000 employee layoffs and about 800 positions that will no longer be filled. “This spring, we launched our enterprise acceleration efforts with a clear ambition: to move faster and simplify how we work to drive Target’s next chapter of growth,” Fiddekele said in a company memo, shared by CNBC. “The
Target is spotlighting its partnership with Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE), a program supporting Black small business founders with access, education, and community, amid ongoing boycotts over its decision to rollback DEI initiatives. In a press release published on October 20, 2025, Target detailed its partnership with RICE, which began in 2020 and was renewed in 2024. The release comes just months after CEO Brian Cornell stepped down, following low foot traffic and sales. Target’s partnership with RICE The RICE’s Retail Readiness Academy (RRA) has allowed Black founders to expand
Coaching and digital education company Career Love LLC is launching a free Career Love Community, a digital space helping Black women who have been laid off from their jobs. Founded by career coach and DEI Mercedes Swan, the initiative aims to provide a space where Black women can access resources, network, and support after experiencing job loss. “Black women are tired of surviving systems and spaces that weren’t built for us,” Swan said in a press release. “We deserve more, and I am excited to build a safe community where
On Friday, October 9, Black Tech Fest (BTF) hosted its fifth annual festival, which brings tech professionals, creatives, and academics. BTF hosts a range of workshops and talks by some of the biggest names in the tech and creative industry. For the first time since its existence, the UK government declined BTF’s invitation to speak at the festival. BTF planned to ask the UK government questions related to biases in AI, mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting, and the DEI pullback. As a festival that champions diversity and inclusion, it was
Burberry, a British fashion house, has cut Geoffrey Williams, the head of diversity, from his role. “As part of a wider restructure, Burberry has chosen to integrate responsibility for diversity, equity, and inclusion across the organization,” Williams wrote in a LinkedIn post. He continued: “This reflects a belief that DEI should be embedded throughout the culture and owned by leaders across the business. The successful transition from a centralised function to a shared responsibility will help ensure long-term sustainability.” Burberry scrapping diversity role Burberry is currently in the midst of
