Ford Motors has announced it will be scaling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, a decision that follows criticism faced by several companies over such initiatives.
Last Wednesday, Ford revealed it would no longer participate in “external culture surveys,” would refrain from using hiring quotas to achieve diversity goals, and would avoid quotas for minority-owned dealerships or suppliers. This policy shift was detailed in an internal memo sent to employees, which was obtained by anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck. Starbuck, who has frequently shed light on DEI initiatives at major corporations.
“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 stated in the memo. According to the Daily Caller, Ford confirmed the authenticity of the memo shared by Starbuck, noting it was indeed sent out to employees.
Ford’s decision comes in the wake of similar moves by other companies that have faced backlash for their DEI initiatives, particularly those with more conservative-leaning consumers. Lowe’s and Tractor Supply Company are among those that have also decided to backtrack on their DEI efforts.
“This isn’t everything we want but it’s a great start. We’re now forcing multi-billion dollar organizations to change their policies without even posting just from fear they have of being the next company that we expose,” Starbuck said in a post on X regarding Ford’s announcement. “We will continue to communicate with our sources in companies we expose and report on any that step out of line. I can promise that if we have to do a second report, it will be much more aggressive.”
The rollback of DEI policies by these companies signals a shift in response to consumer sentiment, as customers have continued to voice strong opposition to such programs.
This piece first appeared at TPUSA.
