Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: ‘If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are’
Dr. Bernice A. King discussed the retreat of many companies from their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments, suggesting that such actions reveal a lack of true dedication to these values. She emphasized that organizations should remain steadfast in their principles, even under political pressure, to build trust with stakeholders. King and other panelists highlighted the importance of consistency in DEI efforts, noting that many companies treat it as a marketing tactic rather than a core business principle.
- ▪Many companies have scaled back or abandoned their DEI commitments amid political pressure.
- ▪Dr. Bernice A. King stated that a quick retreat from DEI reveals a company's true values.
- ▪Some companies, like Delta and Costco, continue to publicly support their DEI initiatives despite scrutiny.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
In the aftermath of the 2020 murder of George Floyd, corporate America faced a racial reckoning. Companies across industries reacted by publicly pledging to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion, launching new task forces, creating new roles, and promising to build workplaces that better reflected the countries they served.Recommended Video But in recent months, as political pressure against DEI has intensified, many organizations have quietly scaled back or abandoned those commitments. That retreat, according to Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center and daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., reveals something fundamental: many companies were never truly committed to DEI.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Fortune.
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