NEW YORK — Home improvement chain Lowe’s is scaling back its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, joining a number of other companies that have adjusted their programs since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled prohibited positive action upon admission to university or after facing conservative backlash online.
In an internal memo shared with The Associated Press, Lowe’s executives said the retailer began “reviewing” its programs following the July 2023 court ruling and that the company recently decided to consolidate its resource groups, which were meant for “individual groups representing diverse segments of our associate population,” into one umbrella organization.
The retailer will also no longer participate in an annual survey by the Human Rights Campaign, which measures workplace inclusivity for LGBTQ+ employees. The retailer will also stop sponsoring and participating in events, such as festivals and parades, that take place outside of its operating territory.
The changes were made to ensure Lowe’s policies are “lawful” and in line with its commitment to “involving everyone,” the memo said.
“We may make further changes over time,” the company’s leadership team said in the memo. “What will not change, however, is our commitment to our people.”
Robby Starbuck, a conservative political commentator who has taken on companies such as Tractor Supply and John Deere, took the honor for the changes on Monday in a message on Xin which he said he had reached out to a Lowe’s executive online last week and outlined his plans to “expose” the company over its hiring practices and other issues, such as LGBTQ+ employee groups and funding for Pride events.
However, Lowe’s spokesman Steve Salazar pushed back against that assertion in an email Tuesday, noting that Starbucks’ outreach came after the company had “already announced changes that have been in the works for a long time” internally. The company’s memo didn’t specify when exactly those changes were implemented, but noted that they were discussed during a meeting on Aug. 21.
Lowe’s debunked another claim that had been circulating on social media this past week. In a digitally enhanced image, Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison said that conservatives who didn’t like the company’s values would be better off shopping at rival Home Depot.
“The CEO of Lowe’s did not make this comment,” the company said. wrote on X in reply to several users who shared the image. “Everyone is welcome at Lowe’s.”
Ellison, for his part, has the company’s ranks diversifiedand has attracted more women and ethnically diverse leaders since taking office in 2018. Ellison, who is Black and grew up in segregated rural Tennessee, has also been outspoken about racism since the police killing of George Floyd, which sparked major protests for racial justice in 2020.
Criticism of such DEI policies has extended beyond Lowe’s to companies across all industries, including calls for boycotts on social media and legal attacks after the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action, which many anti-DEI activists want to use to similar precedent in the working world.
Starbuck, who has a significant following on X, has used the platform as a megaphone to push DEI policies Tractor deliverymanufacturer of agricultural machinery John Deeremotorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson and whiskey maker Jack Daniels. During an interview with The AP last month, the 35-year-old Cuban-American said he has a list of companies he’s considering posting content about, but that he’s starting with companies that have traditionally conservative customer bases.
Following an online pressure campaign earlier this summer, Tractor Supply and John Deere both halted some diversity efforts. Last week, Harley-Davidson withdrew its DEI policy, though the company noted in its announcement that it “will no longer have a DEI role as of April 2024.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Jack Daniels’ parent company, Brown-Forman, said last week that it had “adjusted” its diversity and inclusion strategy to “ensure it continues to drive our business results while appropriately addressing the current environment in which we find ourselves.” Starbuck suggested on X that the company had acted preemptively after its team looked at employee profiles on LinkedIn.
While conservative activists applaud the changes, DEI advocates say that by pandering to Starbuck and other right-wing figures, companies are effectively pandering to hate.
“Racial justice and LGBTQ inclusion are, for lack of a better word, being scapegoated by a small, organized organization that essentially wants to dictate how companies do their business,” said Jen Stark, co-director of the Center for Business and Social Justice at BSR, an advisory network of more than 300 companies.
Stark said it’s a challenging environment for companies today, but stressed that a majority of them keep diversity and inclusion programs in place because they’re good for business. However, following last year’s Supreme Court ruling, she noted that companies need to make sure their DEI programs are “on solid ground” — and avoid overcorrecting when and if there’s a backlash, which she said could cause more harm.
“This isn’t just a step backward for workplaces,” she said. “It’s really a step backward in how we normalize practices that remove barriers and impediments for everyone.”
The Human Rights Campaign, which Lowe’s will no longer work with under the new policy, strongly criticized such DEI retreats on Tuesday, pointing to the potential bottom-line consequences for companies turning their backs on LGBTQ+ and other consumers.
Orlando Gonzales, HRC’s senior vice president of programs, research and training, called the changes “short-sighted decisions that are antithetical to safe and inclusive workplaces” that would create a “snowball effect of negative long-term consequences.” Gonzales also took aim at Starbucks specifically — arguing that companies “should not bow down to some random guy with zero business experience” and that the activist should be removed of the Tennessee Republican Party because he is “so extreme”.
Starbucks, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday, said last month that its list included companies that are considered politically mainstream or middle of the road, including Microsoft. For a company like coffee chain Starbucks, on the other hand, “it would be difficult to put boycott pressure on them,” he said.
Stark noted that the outcome of the U.S. election will also “turn the thermostat up or down” on the DEI conversation. A second term for former President Donald Trump would likely increase pressure on DEI policies — with many of Trump’s supporters already expressing how they would like to see such practices dismantled — while his challenger Kamala Harris could have the opposite effect.
Some companies are preparing for the prospect of potential changes in terms of, for example, their federal contracts, which have historically been a powerful way to promote equality in the workplace. And others may want to change language or find new solutions to existing programs.
“We could potentially see a resurgence of DEI-related efforts or cuts,” she said. “I think a common thread will be that companies will continue to do this work in practice or in name — (but) the extent to which they publicly show up will depend on the landscape.”