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Playing 'the same price tricks': Retailers bending the knee to Trump bashed in scathing op-ed
Growing up on the northside of Denver, I was surrounded by a diverse community with a rich history. There, I learned about resilience, about neighbors looking out for each other, and about the importance of always standing up for what’s right. This lesson has guided my 20 years of progressive activism throughout Colorado, from my work to protect reproductive rights to my work to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all Coloradans.
As someone who fights for a fairer and just society, I paid attention when big box retailers began speaking the language of diversity and equity several years ago. Companies like Walmart, Target and Home Depot positioned themselves as allies of marginalized communities. The stores launched supplier diversity programs, implemented DEI training, and claimed to share our values of inclusion and justice. Walmart even founded its nonprofit to advance racial justice. Corporate America finally understood that it also had a role to play in helping us build stronger, more inclusive communities.
However, my years in progressive organizing have also taught me an important lesson: Watch what someone does, not just what they say.
When Donald Trump returned to the White House and demanded an end to diversity initiatives, the big retailers bent the knee. Walmart stopped funding its racial justice nonprofit. Target abandoned its supplier diversity program, taking away opportunities from minority businesses that are often overlooked. Even Home Depot dropped mentions of diversity from its website and its annual report to investors. As a result of the anti-diversity push, events like Denver Pride have lost significant funding this year.
The retailers betrayed our communities, hoping we wouldn’t notice, but we did. That’s why the Rocky Mountain NAACP encouraged shoppers in our state to take their business to the retailers who refused to cave on diversity issues, and consumers all over the nation launched boycotts of Walmart and Target.
As someone who fights for a fairer and just society, I paid attention when big box retailers began speaking the language of diversity and equity several years ago. Companies like Walmart, Target and Home Depot positioned themselves as allies of marginalized communities. The stores launched supplier diversity programs, implemented DEI training, and claimed to share our values of inclusion and justice. Walmart even founded its nonprofit to advance racial justice. Corporate America finally understood that it also had a role to play in helping us build stronger, more inclusive communities.
However, my years in progressive organizing have also taught me an important lesson: Watch what someone does, not just what they say.
When Donald Trump returned to the White House and demanded an end to diversity initiatives, the big retailers bent the knee. Walmart stopped funding its racial justice nonprofit. Target abandoned its supplier diversity program, taking away opportunities from minority businesses that are often overlooked. Even Home Depot dropped mentions of diversity from its website and its annual report to investors. As a result of the anti-diversity push, events like Denver Pride have lost significant funding this year.
The retailers betrayed our communities, hoping we wouldn’t notice, but we did. That’s why the Rocky Mountain NAACP encouraged shoppers in our state to take their business to the retailers who refused to cave on diversity issues, and consumers all over the nation launched boycotts of Walmart and Target.
https://www.alternet.org/big-retailers-bending-the-knee-to-trump-bashed-in-scathing-op-ed/