(The Center Square) – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is joining attorneys general from other states to meddle in the internal operations of Walmart policy on diversity, equity and inclusion.
Walmart reportedly is rolling back its diversity, equity and inclusion policies to focus on being more “belonging.”
In an undated post to Walmart’s website, the company said its vision is “simple, yet powerful.”
“‘Everyone included.’ By nurturing a workplace culture where everyone is – and feels – included, we create an environment where everyone wins,” the company said. “By making Walmart a welcoming place where people feel like they belong, we’re able to engage associates, strengthen our business, improve our ability to serve customers, and support the communities where we operate.”
The Associated Press reported a Walmart spokesperson said some of the company’s policy changes have been in progress for a while. That included moving away from using the terminology of DEI in job titles and communications and instead using words like “belonging.” The company also started making modifications to their supplier programs.
The AGs’ letter to Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon dated Thursday said they fear the plan “risks undermining important social progress and antidiscrimination efforts” and understand the pressure the company likely faced following “the anti-DEI pressure campaign.”
“[T]hreats to boycott, sue, or otherwise negatively impact Walmart’s bottom line may well have contributed to your decision to walk away from your commitments to DEI,” the group of states’ attorneys general said. “But we are concerned that Walmart failed to consider the other side – the customers and employees that will be alienated by this departure, the historically-disadvantaged minority- and women-owned small businesses that will have a harder time becoming suppliers to Walmart, and the economic benefits of diversity that Walmart will lose by abandoning its commitment to a diverse workforce.”
Walmart didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Center Square Friday.
“Everything we do comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging, to create opportunities for all and be a Walmart for everyone,” the undated website posting said.
Raoul and the other states’ AGs said in their six-page letter to Walmart they want more information from the company.
“We would welcome more information, either as you communicate your recommitment to the important values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, or as you share with our offices how you intend to ensure compliance with our states’ laws,” they said.
Raoul was joined in signing the letter by the attorneys general from California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
DEI has come under increased scrutiny as critics say it places physical characteristics and identity over merit and outcomes. Critics also say DEI programming costs corporations money and government agencies taxpayer dollars.
