Watchdog Group Claims Major Corporations Are Keeping ‘Woke 1.0’ Alive

A conservative advocacy group, in a recent report, accused multiple companies of embracing certain left-wing practices.

“7Eleven, Carhartt, DraftKings, Duluth Trading Co, Traeger, Bank of America, BlackRock, and Nike are evidence Woke is still alive and well in corporate America,” Consumers’ Research claimed in a report Friday. The report comes weeks after multiple Democratic figures, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, appear to have been trying to distance themselves from the “Woke 1.0” identity politics that dominated public discourse in recent years.

“Woke 1 was crazy…” pic.twitter.com/RAro2xfVMp

— Will Hild (@WillHild) August 28, 2026

“Woke companies want you to believe they’ve moved on, but don’t be fooled,” Consumers’ Research Executive Director Will Hild said in a statement obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. “For years, major corporations pushed political agendas on American consumers that had nothing to do with serving their customers.”

“Now, as the backlash grows, many of those same companies and politicians who championed woke the loudest, are quietly trying to hide their position with more moderate rhetoric and hoping everyone forgets,” Hild’s statement continues. “Changing job titles, rebranding DEI as belonging, and calling ‘Woke 1’ crazy shouldn’t distract from the fact that wokeness in corporate America isn’t dead, they’ve just gotten quieter about it.”

Likewise, 7Eleven “remains openly committed to DEI” on its website, according to Consumers’ Research.

“We strive for equality and are committed to taking bold action when it comes to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Our strategy focuses on three core pillars: Foster an inclusive workplace culture, cultivate diverse talent, and positively impact the communities we serve,” 7Eleven’s website states.

The American convenience store chain also highlights its “wonderfully diverse employees,” according to its 2025 Impact Report.

Meanwhile, Carhartt, a workwear company, put its “chief woke enforcer in charge of HR and workplace culture” by promoting its senior vice president of inclusion and sustainability to chief people and impact officer, according to Consumers’ Research.

Another clothing company featured in Consumers’ Research’s report is Duluth Trading Co., which “says every employee participates in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training, making DEI a companywide requirement, and touts ‘inclusive talent recruitment'” on its webpage titled “Humanity.”