The impact of the Bud Light controversy is still being felt as more major corporations move away from embracing woke corporatism. Several prominent companies have announced their intention to abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices that have become popular in corporate America.
This shift is largely due to a growing backlash against companies that choose to kowtow to the far left, which has been pressuring these entities to infuse progressive ideology into their business practices. This is a positive sign in that it shows that folks opposed to the politicking occurring in corporate America have finally become loud enough to counteract the crybullies on the left.
Jack Daniels became the latest high-profile company to announce it was cutting ties with leftist ideology, according to conservative commentator Robby Starbuck. “They must have been tipped off by us going through employee LinkedIn pages,” he wrote.
Big news: The next company we were set to expose was @JackDaniels_US.
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) August 22, 2024
They must have been tipped off by us going through employee LinkedIn pages.
They just preemptively announced that they’ll be making these changes:
• Ending participation in the @HRC’s Corporate Equality… pic.twitter.com/0O1DkkIKrO
In an email, Brown-Forman, the parent company of Jack Daniels, explained that it “launched our diversity and inclusion strategy in 2019” but that “since then, the world has evolved, our business has changed, and the legal and external landscape has shifted dramatically.”
Because of this, the company “must adjust our work to ensure it continues to drive business results while appropriately recognizing the current environment in which we find ourselves,” according to the email.
The company will make the following changes:
Ensuring executive incentives and employee goals are tied to business performance;
Removing our quantitative workforce and supplier diversity ambitions;
Ending participation in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index survey; and
Reviewing training programs for consistency with an evolved strategy.”
However, the company affirmed that it will “continue to foster an inclusive work environment where everyone is welcomed, respected, and able to bring their best self to work,” suggesting that it is moving away from the more extreme aspects of DEI without abandoning diversity altogether.
This comes just after motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson made a similar announcement. In a post on X, the company declared it would stop using the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index scoring system to assess its practices.
In a statement published on the social media platform, the company noted that “we have not operated a DEI function since April 2024, and we do not have a DEI function today. We do not have hiring quotas and we no longer have supplier diversity spend goals.”
Harley-Davidson affirmed that it “will focus exclusively on growing the sport of motorcycling and retaining our loyal riding community, in addition to the support we already provide to first responders, active military members and veterans.”
We remain committed to listening to all members of our community as we continue on our journey together as one Harley-Davidson. United We Ride. pic.twitter.com/0feGYhTUMh
— Harley-Davidson (@harleydavidson) August 19, 2024
This move comes after Starbuck also called out the company on social media for embracing leftist ideology in its practices.
It’s time to expose Harley Davidson.@harleydavidson has been one of the most beloved brands in America but recently on CEO Jochen Zeitz’s watch, they’ve gone totally woke.
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) July 23, 2024
Here’s some of what we found:
• Openly supports “the equality act" which would allow men into girl’s… pic.twitter.com/15kPUy8WVY
Before Harley-Davidson, Tractor Supply made the same move, declaring that it would also cut ties with the Human Rights Campaign and focus more on issues that affect its customer base. RedState’s Brandon Morse wrote:
After some silence by the company, it released a statement on Thursday that wasn’t just a step back from the leftism the company had engaged in. It threw the car in reverse and slammed on the gas pedal. It made a list of five promises to its customers.
1. It will stop submitting data to the Human Rights Campaign.
2. It will refocus its engagement groups on mentoring, networking, and supporting the business.
3. It will prioritize rural American concerns including “ag education, animal welfare, veteran causes and being a good neighbor and stop sponsoring non-business activities like pride festivals and voting campaigns.”
4. It’s kicking DEI to the curb and abandoning any DEI related goals.
5. Abandoning its carbon emission goals in order to focus on land and water conservation efforts.
Statement from Tractor Supply pic.twitter.com/ZMweR8JVuy
— Tractor Supply (@TractorSupply) June 27, 2024
The move ruffled more than a few feathers. Many on the left criticized Tractor Supply for giving up on DEI practices.
However, conservatives and others who oppose the leftward turn of major corporations that gave in to pressure coming from the hard left are rightly pleased by this development. The shift seems to suggest that the voices pushing back against “woke” corporatism have gotten loud enough to push companies to abandon left-wing politics.
Now, many companies appear to be more afraid of alienating non-progressives than of earning the wrath of the Woke Sanhedrin. This is a remarkable change. Before, it seemed that the hard left had a stranglehold on corporate America. Now, this hold is slipping quickly.
Conservatives are using free market principles to bring about change rather than relying on the government to force their will on corporations.
It is worth noting that this won’t be the case for all companies that embrace progressivism – especially those whose customers are mostly left-leaning. Still, it shows that the left does not have all the power. When folks are willing to stand against the spread of wokeism they can win.
