Ford Motors announced Wednesday that it is walking back several of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, making it the latest of a number of U.S. corporations to revoke similar measures.
Ford vowed to stop participating in “external culture surveys,” such as the Human Rights Campaign’s [HRC] Corporate Equality Index, promised it does not “use hiring quotas or tie compensation to the achievement of specific diversity goals” and said it would not use quotas regarding “minority dealerships or suppliers,” according to an internal memo sent to employees and obtained by conservative activist Robby Starbuck. The company is “mindful that [its] employees and customers hold a wide range of beliefs.”
“In the past year, we have taken a fresh look at our policies and practices to ensure they support our values, drive business results, and take into account the current landscape,” Ford CEO Jim Farley wrote in the memo.
Ford confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation that the letter was authentic and shared with its global employee network.
Here is @Ford’s full statement I received this morning. Sanity is coming for corporate America. pic.twitter.com/sqoJ8KPGHT
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) August 28, 2024
The decision comes after a variety of other major U.S. corporations have dialed back DEI efforts in recent months.
Home improvement retailer Lowe’s announced that it would stop participating in the HRC survey and would no longer sponsor parades or festivals. Motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson discontinued its DEI function as of April and recently announced it no longer operates under DEI guidelines, while Brown-Forman — parent company of Jack-Daniel’s— closed its corporate DEI page and announced it was eliminating supplier diversity targets.
American Airlines, BlackRock and JPMorgan Chase also shifted stance on the topic, revising their DEI language to be less race-based after being threatened with discrimination lawsuits.
An April 2023 Bud Light advertisement featuring transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney resulted in a boycott that cost the parent company up to $395 million in U.S. sales and resulted in the exit of two Anheuser-Busch marketing executives.
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