Conservative groups have denounced the programs and threatened to sue companies over them.
Facebook owners Meta Platforms and Amazon are halting diversity programs ahead of Republican Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency, as conservative opposition to such initiatives grows.
Some of the nation’s largest companies have scaled back their diversity initiatives, years after pushing for more inclusive policies amid protests following the police killings of George Floyd and other Black Americans in 2020.
Meta is ending its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, including hiring, training and supplier selection programs, it said in an internal memo to employees on Friday – the latest in a series of actions by conservatives were welcomed.
In less than two weeks, Meta has shut down its US fact-checking program, appointed prominent Republican Joel Kaplan as chief global affairs officer and elected Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and close friend of Trump, to its board of directors.
Amazon said in a December memo to employees seen by Reuters on Friday that it would eliminate “outdated programs and materials” related to representation and inclusion, with the goal of completing the process by the end of 2024.
“Signal a change”
Conservative groups have denounced the programs and threatened to sue companies over them, emboldened by a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that rejected affirmative action in college admissions decisions.
Just this week, Elon Musk and other Trump allies blamed DEI programs for hindering the response to the raging wildfires in Los Angeles, without any evidence to back it up.
“The legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing,” Janelle Gale, vice president of human resources at Meta, said in the memo, seen by Reuters and originally reported by Axios.
Gale pointed to recent Supreme Court decisions that “signal a shift” in the way U.S. courts will approach DEI programs in the future.
“The term ‘DEI’ is also controversial, in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others,” she wrote.
In practice, this means Meta will no longer have a team focused on diversity and inclusion, and the company said it will instead “focus on applying fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for everyone, regardless of their status.” Background”.
The company will also discontinue its “diverse slate approach” to hiring, a strategy that draws candidates from a diverse pool to be considered for each open position.
One staffer commented on Gale’s memo as “disturbing to read.”
Other companies that have recently ended DEI programs include McDonald’s, automaker Ford, Walmart and farm equipment maker John Deere.
