It seems Walmart is finally realizing that embracing “woke” policies isn’t just bad optics—it’s bad for business.
The retail giant announced a series of changes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, taking a noticeable step back from some of the more controversial practices that have defined corporate America’s sprint into progressive politics. About time, right?
Anti-woke activist Robby Starbuck, known for taking aim at major corporations over their ideological overreach, claimed a win here after speaking with Walmart executives last week. While Walmart insists these adjustments were in the works long before Starbuck’s involvement, it’s clear the pressure is making a difference. Call it coincidence if you want, but when one of the nation’s largest employers makes moves like these, people notice.
So, what’s changing? For starters, Walmart is reviewing the types of products it sells, particularly those marketed to children. Chest binders for kids? Gone. Sexualized Pride-themed merchandise targeting minors? Under scrutiny.
The company is also reevaluating its funding for certain Pride events to ensure no inappropriate content gets a free pass. It’s not about erasing Pride celebrations altogether—Walmart made that clear—it’s about drawing a line where children are concerned. Radical concept, huh?
Perhaps the most significant move is Walmart’s decision to end its Racial Equity Center initiative, launched in 2020 during the height of corporate America’s woke rush. The company is also ditching trendy buzzwords like “Latinx” (because, let’s face it, no one really uses that term) and even the DEI acronym itself. Instead, Walmart will pivot to promoting “belonging,” a term that feels less divisive and more inclusive of, well, everyone.
Walmart is also stepping away from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, which scores companies on their LGBTQ+ policies. Joining Ford and John Deere in opting out, Walmart’s decision signals that these rankings, long used as leverage by activist groups, may no longer hold the sway they once did.
🚨 #BREAKING: Walmart, who is the LARGEST private employer in America, has just announced they are AXING their DEI policies
HOLY CRAP.
WE ARE WINNING! 🔥
pic.twitter.com/raBkmkbz5H— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) November 26, 2024
Starbuck is understandably taking a victory lap, calling these changes a major milestone in the fight against corporate wokeness. And let’s be honest—he’s got a point. Walmart is a $1 trillion behemoth and the largest employer in the U.S. When it makes adjustments, the ripple effects touch suppliers, employees, and customers nationwide.
This shift from “wokeness” to common sense could set the tone for other corporations to follow. As Starbuck aptly put it, the goal is to make wokeness a relic of the past. If Walmart’s move is any indication, that relic may already be gathering dust.
