The backlash to diversity, equity and inclusion seems to have reached a fever pitch after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 22 taking aim at DE&I programs on a federal level. It’s the latest indication that “DE&I” is now seen as the word “woke,” a politicized phrase that has marketers hesitant to even acknowledge “diversity,” in everything from corporate titles and hiring practices marketing messages and social impact commitments, according to three marketing execs Digiday spoke with for this story.
The word and therein values associated with diversity seem to be a point of contention and are being stripped from the concept of equity and inclusion, forgoing the goal to better represent historically marginalized communities and leaving a “watered down and blended” version of DE&I, Liv Lewis, an executive marketing communications consultant, told Digiday.
The executive order felt like a long time coming under Trump’s second term with pressure mounting from conservative activists and right-wing voices, pushing companies like Target, Walmart, Ford Motors, John Deere, Molson Coors (and the list goes on) to back away or retool their DE&I commitments. Notably, many of these commitments were created in response to the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020 following the murder of George Floyd.
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