The NAACP released a black consumer advisory on several companies’ decisions to scale back or cut their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Several major corporations, including Target, McDonald’s, and Walmart, have dropped various DEI programs after President Donald Trump made eliminating DEI within the federal government one of his top priorities in the early days of his second term.
The NAACP said that the end of these DEI programs “threaten economic opportunities, workplace diversity, and community investments, directly impacting Black communities nationwide” and called on black consumers to use their $1.8 trillion in purchasing power to support businesses that are maintaining their DEI programs.
The call to action released Saturday also calls on black consumers to “demand accountability” from companies who have ditched DEI, support black-owned businesses, and “spend intentionally” by supporting companies “that maintain and expand their DEI commitments and prioritize investment in Black communities.”
“The NAACP recognizes that the rollback of DEI initiatives is a direct attack on Black economic progress, civil rights, and the principles of equity and fairness. These actions are part of a broader effort to reverse gains made in civil rights and social justice,” the NAACP advisory said.
“We urge Black consumers to remain vigilant, informed, and intentional in their economic decisions, using their collective power to demand accountability from corporations and institutions,” the advisory continued.
The decision to end DEI programs by several companies comes years after several companies incorporated or expanded these programs during racial unrest in 2020 following the death of George Floyd. DEI programs have sparked frequent criticism with many decrying the policies as favoring race or merit.
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The recent retreat of DEI programs comes as Trump made the elimination of DEI in the federal government, which was expanded by the Biden administration, an early priority.
“The previous administration has embedded deeply unpopular, inflationary, illegal, and radical practices within every agency and office of the Federal Government,” read the order Trump signed to eliminate DEI programs.