These companies aren't eliminating DEI under threat of MAGA boycott. They're eliminating DEI because their programs went totally off the rails in the zeitgeist of the Anti-racist moment. These programs have now been studied and shown to increase racial tension in the workplace, have absolutely zero positive benefit for workers of any kind, been shown to be based largely based on pseudo-science like implicit bias, greater survival rates for black babies treated by black doctors, etc.
At best, they've been leaked to make companies look absolutely ridiculous. At worst, they've opened companies up to discrimination lawsuits. The vast majority of DEI "providers" and "resources" have been proven to be anywhere from charlatans to outright grifters. Many of the organizations and leaders that soaked up millions upon millions in donations from DEI-eager coorporations have been shown to be anywhere from outright stealing the money to misusing it.
Have any of these movements, from the Womens March to Black Lives Matter to Ibram Kendi NOT been thoroughly exposed? Have any beneficiaries of massive corporate donations exhibited proper management or effected positive change at all?
These companies had some mixture of a true heart to make things better, and a strong sense of a PR opportunity, and years on, DEI as has been executed has proven to be neither. Like everything else in American politics, it's a big grift.
But activist groups attacking DEI through these methods are stupid...they are failing on their own (lack of) merit.
My guess is, just knowing Costco as a company, that Costo's DEI program is relatively well conceived, adequately administered, and exhibits none of the excesses that have plagued other programs. It's really hard to imagine a company that is run as well as Costco is making these kind of errors.
And if so, they are right to defend it. I haven't heard of anything ridiculous coming out of Costco. If the program is bad, like most are, it won't survive. If they've cracked to code to a workplace that is truly more inclusive for all, that bully for them.
www.latimes.com
