DEI programs saw a myriad of attacks this year, with more to come in 2025
Diversity, equity and inclusion programs at some of the country’s biggest companies fell apart in 2024. Anti-DEI efforts will most likely only ramp up in 2025.
One by one, diversity, equity and inclusion programs at some of the country’s biggest companies fell apart in 2024, with signs that efforts to reverse DEI initiatives will only ramp up in 2025.
This year saw the rise in prominent figures like Elon Musk and Lululemon founder Chip Wilson, among others, who vocally pushed against DEI initiatives. Major companies, including Walmart, Lowe’s, Ford and Toyota, heeded the calls and dialed back their DEI programs, particularly after social media-driven campaigns by influencers like Robby Starbuck.
Meanwhile Utah, Alabama and Iowa joined Florida and Texas by banning DEI offices in their public universities, and three more states — Idaho, Kansas and Indiana — barred colleges from requiring diversity statements in hiring and admissions.
All that came after countless companies pledged sweeping support for diversity efforts after George Floyd’s murder by police in Minneapolis in 2020 initiated a national social justice movement.
But with President-elect Donald Trump and his administration vowing to wipe out federally funded diversity programs, the future of DEI is precarious.
Rating: 5