The Culture War Comes to Walmart as Belonging Overtakes DEI
The “anti-woke” culture warrior Robby Starbuck came for Walmart Inc. — and ended up liking what he saw.
“Last week I told execs at @Walmart that I was doing a story on wokeness there,” Starbuck wrote on X. “Instead we had productive conversations to find solutions.”
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Starbuck said Walmart committed to a series of culture-based changes — from no longer participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Index to dropping the term diversity, equity and inclusion and removing transgender products marketed to children from its marketplace.
The retailer will also not extend its five-year, $100 million commitment to the Racial Equity Center, a special initiative it set up in 2020. And the company is ensuring that it doesn’t give special treatment to suppliers based on diversity.
Some of that has already been in the works. Walmart, for instance, has already moved away from the idea of DEI in favor of belonging. And the decision to avoid special treatment in the supply chain is in keeping with the Supreme Court ruling that shot down affirmative action in college admissions last year.
But Walmart’s announcement — coming just before Black Friday in a campaign that has also touched Tractor Supply Co., John Deere, Harley-Davidson and more — still marked a significant milestone in how companies choose to present themselves in 2024.
“Remember, Walmart is the number-one employer in America with over 1.6 million employees and they have a market cap of nearly $800 [billion],” Starbuck wrote. “This won’t just have a massive effect for their employees who will have a neutral workplace without feeling that divisive issues are being injected but it will also extend to their many suppliers.”
For its part, Walmart said it is sticking by the principles that helped it become a retail powerhouse.
“Our purpose, to help people save money and live better, has been at our core since our founding 62 years ago and continues to guide us today,” the company said in a statement. “We can deliver on it because we are willing to change alongside our associates and customers who represent all of America.
“We’ve been on a journey and know we aren’t perfect, but every decision comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging, to open doors to opportunities for all our associates, customers and suppliers and to be a Walmart for everyone,” Walmart said.
Walmart’s acknowledgement that is not “perfect” in the area signals a recalibration that is happening across the industry.
Retailers have long tried to strike a delicate balance, avoiding culture wars in the interest of opening their doors for everyone and maximizing sales.
That balance seemed to tip some in recent years as more stores weighed in on the Black Lives Matter movement after the murder of George Floyd or became more vocal in their support of LGBTQIA+ rights.
Then the “anti-woke” movement sought to tip the scales back.
Last year Target touched off a firestorm with its Pride-related “tuck-friendly” swimwear and styles with extra crotch coverage, ultimately removing some products after receiving threats.
This year the company’s Pride collection was scaled back.
Now the U.S. is on the cusp of potentially more cultural upheaval after a deeply divided electorate voted to send Donald Trump back to the White House.
But the forces that supported the rise of diversity as an issue for corporate America have not gone away.
“The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index was created at a time when folks could be fired just because of who they are,” said RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, when asked to comment on Walmart’s decision to not participate in the index.
“Since then, we’ve seen immense progress, from family formation benefits to safeguarding against blatant discrimination at all levels of the workplace,” Hawkins said. “When companies are transparent and open about their commitment to workplace inclusion policies, it only helps to attract and retain top talent — which is why the 2025 CEI will have record participation from more than 1,400 companies.
“There’s no changing the fact that with 30 percent of Gen Z identifying as LGBTQ+ and the community holding $1.4 trillion in spending power, commitments to inclusion are directly tied to long-term business growth. Those who abandon these commitments are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers and shareholders,” Hawkins claimed.
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