Corporate America Faces Reckoning: The Pushback Against DEI
Over the summer, a notable shift has occurred in Corporate America. Iconic brands like Ford, Lowe’s, Harley-Davidson, John Deere, and Tractor Supply have made headlines for stepping back from controversial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices in the workplace. The catalyst behind this significant change? Activist Robby Starbuck, whose relentless campaign against what he calls “divisive” DEI programs is making waves.
Starbuck, who has amassed over 500,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter), has been at the forefront of a movement challenging the mainstream adoption of DEI policies. His approach is straightforward: expose companies with contentious DEI initiatives and rally public opinion against them. According to Starbuck, this has forced companies to reconsider their stance.
“Companies are starting to realize the whole DEI thing has been a house of cards,” Starbuck told The Post. “Somebody just had to press the cards. The majority of CEOs in America are very happy to have an excuse to get rid of this stuff.” His impact is evident. Recently, Starbuck announced that Molson Coors, a major player in the beverage industry, is preemptively making changes to its DEI policies, including eliminating DEI-based training and hiring metrics. This move came after Starbuck warned of a potential exposé.
Lowe’s, a household name in retail, also yielded to Starbuck’s influence. The retailer agreed to consolidate its identity-based employee resource groups and halt its participation in LGBTQ+ parades not related to its business. Ford, too, decided to scale back its DEI initiatives and discontinue diversity quotas.
This shift is reminiscent of Jack Daniel’s reversal of its policies after Starbuck announced plans to protest the whiskey brand. Starbuck’s tactics have drawn criticism from some who argue he is inciting mob behavior. However, Starbuck maintains that he is merely highlighting corporate values that diverge from those of everyday Americans.
“You have to be in alignment with your customers — otherwise, if someone else is, they’re going to eat your lunch,” Starbuck explains. “That’s how capitalism works. Customers don’t ignore it when you’re violating their values every day.”
Starbuck’s background is instrumental in understanding his perspective. Raised in California by Cuban-American parents, he grew up with a keen awareness of Marxist ideology, which he sees reflected in DEI initiatives that emphasize equity. For Starbuck, these programs echo the ideologies that he believes contributed to the hardships his family faced under communism.
He has been outspoken against DEI and Critical Race Theory (CRT) since their rise in prominence following the summer of 2020. Starbuck, who previously thrived in Hollywood as a successful producer and music video director, left the industry after finding it increasingly inhospitable to conservative values. His public support for Donald Trump in 2015 led to a significant loss of clients and ultimately drove him to relocate his family to a farm in Franklin, Tennessee.
“The moral panic of the summer of 2020 launched me into an all-out war against corporate DEI initiatives,” Starbuck asserts. He describes these programs as “fascist” and argues that corporate executives have been forced to conform to these ideologies out of fear of being labeled racist.
“Executives rolled over after George Floyd, but we’re at a different moment now,” Starbuck continues. “It’s time to course correct and unify all of our customers.
Photo credit: Flickr
