Over 100,000 people have pledged to boycott Target for 40 days in protest of the company’s rollback of DEI initiatives. The boycott, which began on Wednesday, March 4, was organized by Pastor Jamal Bryant. According to The Washington Post, the movement spans cities including Atlanta, Houston, Jacksonville, Florida, and Alexandria, Virginia. The “Target Fast” occurs simultaneously as Lent, when some Christians commit to fasting and will be the latest boycott against one of the biggest retail companies in the US. Why are people boycotting Target? In January, Target announced that
Tech workers union Prospect is asking UK lawmakers to examine the diversity efforts of US multinational companies operating in the UK to ensure they comply with UK regulations and values. It has written to Parliament’s Women and Equalities, asking them to review American businesses rolling back DEI efforts. “Prospect represents thousands of UK tech workers, including in companies like Meta, and we have been alarmed to see how these companies have acted since Donald Trump’s inauguration as President,” the letter stated. It added “Not only have the CEOs of many
The NAACP has announced the launch of the Black Consumer Advisory to help Black consumers stay informed on which companies promote diversity. As more companies continue to scale back their DEI programs, Black consumers should spend their money where they are valued. However, they can only do this if they know which companies value diversity and inclusion. This is why the NAACP is creating the Black Consumer Advisory, to remind Black consumers that their money is valuable. “The NAACP stands firm in our belief that, in a global economy, those
Deloitte recently shared that it would scrap its diversity goals and urged government contract employees to remove gender pronouns from their email signatures. However, in the UK, Deloitte’s senior partner and chief executive Richard Houston informed staff in an email that diversity “remains a priority” despite the US firm’s plans for DEI. Deloitte US rolling back on DEI efforts. The Financial Times reported that the firm told consultants to remove pronouns highlighting their gender from external emails to align with emerging government client practices and requirements,” as stated by people with
NBCUniversal and its parent company, Comcast, are under federal investigation over their DEI initiatives and practices. Investigation into DEI efforts at Comcast In a letter dated February 11, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced it is investigating Comcast and its media arm, NBCUniversal, citing “substantial evidence” that they continue to promote DEI in violation of FCC regulations. The investigation follows President Trump’s executive order, signed on January 21, which ended DEI programs across the federal government and directed US agencies to encourage the private sector to do the same. FCC
OpenAI has deleted a page that used to highlight the company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), as first reported by TechCrunch. The now eradicated page had noted the company’s ongoing “investment in diversity, equity and inclusion.” The URL “https://openai.com/commitment-to-dei/” currently diverts to a “building dynamic teams” page, which references people with “different backgrounds” with no sign of the word “diversity.” Previously, the page had stated that OpenAI was dedicated to “continuously improving our work in creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization.” When did OpenAI remove the page?
Ulu Ventures, reportedly the largest Latina-led fund in the US, has raised $208 million for its fourth fund. The fund supports seed-stage tech startups in the US using an inclusive, data-based approach that seeks to limit cognitive bias without shutting out any demographic group. This strategy has led to a more diverse portfolio than traditional venture investments. “Ulu is a beacon for the most talented entrepreneurial teams because we reduce bias by applying impartial methods of assessing risk and the same criteria to all people,” CEO, Co-founder, and Managing Director
DEI Under Fire is our monthly series that keeps you up-to-date on the latest DEI announcements and changes from the nation’s leading companies. The landscape of DEI has changed significantly over the past couple of months in the US. Some companies have succumbed to political pressure to roll back their DEI initiatives, while others stand firm in their diversity and inclusion stances. With so many changes to DEI in a short matter of time, it isn’t easy to keep up with where companies stand with DEI. This is why POCIT
DEI is the buzzword in America as more companies continue to scale back on their DEI policies. Big retailers and companies started announcing their removal of DEI last year. However, Trump’s revoking a six-decade-old executive order that prohibited workplace discrimination by federal contractors has further impacted companies’ stances on DEI. But how much impact have these initiatives had on diversity in the workplace? According to a Wall Street Journal analysis, not that much. The Wall Street Journal examined 13 million workers at S&P 500 companies and found that DEI efforts haven’t significantly
Viriginia-based entrepreneur DeShuna Spencer launched a website to track corporate responsibility for DEI initiatives. DEI Watch aims to help consumers decide which brands to support (or not). A former journalist, Spencer, created the site to promote transparency and empower buying decisions. Though she is not promoting boycotts, she says, “But if you want to, we wanted to create a platform that’s as accurate as possible,” Spencer told Axios. Spencer is also the founder of kweliTV (sometimes referred to as Black Netflix), a streaming service with over 800 international films, documentaries, and kids’
