The iconic American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is the latest company to announce that it will be ending its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs due to the conservative backlash against such initiatives across the country.
Purpose of DEI Programs
DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and programs built on this foundation were made to support historically marginalized communities in the workplace in order to provide fair opportunities and create an inclusive culture.
Harley-Davidson’s Retraction
The latest company to pull back from its DEI initiatives is the Harley-Davidson motorcycle manufacturer due to social media campaigns led by conservative activists.
Robby Starbuck’s Criticism
One of the conservative leaders fighting against DEI programs is Robby Starbuck, who criticized the company for being “woke” due to its progressive initiatives.
“It’s Time to Expose”
Starbuck began his campaign against Harley-Davidson DEI programs on X, where he posted several videos in July, saying, “It’s time to expose Harley-Davidson,” and how it has “gone totally woke.”
Harley-Davidson’s Defense
Harley-Davidson has since gone on to defend itself and claimed they have not invested in DEI programs since April 2024 and will no longer pursue such initiative goals.
“Joy of Motorcycling”
In response to the controversy, Harley-Davidson stated, “For over 120 years, Harley-Davidson has brought the joy of motorcycling to riders around the world, no matter who they are, where they come from, or what they believe in.”
HRC’s Quick Response
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) was quick to respond to Harley-Davidson’s defense against DEI claims, criticizing the company for bowing down to conservative pressure.
Bloem’s Critique
Eric Bloem, the HRC’s vice president for programs and corporate advocacy, felt Harley-Davidson’s response sent a message to employees that their employer “simply doesn’t care about equality in the workplace.”
“Impulsive Decision”
“This is an impulsive decision fuelled by fringe right-wing actors and MAGA extremists who believe they can bully their way into dismantling initiatives that help everyone thrive in the workplace,” Bloem told Newsweek.
Conservative Praise
However, Harley-Davidson’s decision to cut DEI programs was met with praise from conservative influencers, including the one who spearheaded the campaign, Robby Starbuck.
“Our Movement Gets Results”
“Harley-Davidson corporate can be sad all they want, but our movement gets results. This is only the beginning,” Starbuck wrote on X.
DEI’s Workplace Goal
Daniel Oppong, founder of The Courage Collective, explained that the DEI initiative is “an attempt to try to create workplaces where more or all people can thrive.”
DEI’s Historical Roots
DEI efforts can be traced back to the Civil Rights Movement and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, where employment discrimination was outlawed and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was created to enforce these rights.
DEI’s Evolution After 2020
Over time, DEI initiatives have grown significantly, with the largest evolution seen after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, which reignited corporate interest in DEI programs.
“Not Neutral Programmes”
Christopher Rufo from the Manhattan Institute wrote, “These are not neutral programmes to increase demographic diversity; they are political programmes that use taxpayer resources to advance a specific partisan orthodoxy.”
Mass DEI Abandonment
Companies like CNN, Meta, Tesla, and others have made significant cuts to their DEI teams, and this mass DEI abandonment has been ramping up in the business world over the last year, thanks to efforts from conservatives.
CNN Dissolves DEI Team
One of the most recent examples of this was CNN quietly dissolving its “Race and Equality” team, originally formed in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in 2020.
Disbanded Team Acknowledged
A CNN spokesperson tried telling black journalist Phil Lewis the program would still be in place before finally admitting that the team and program were being disbanded.
“Not a Team Anymore”
The spokesperson said, “For all intents and purposes, the team is not a team anymore. They’re assigned to different areas so that [their] perspective and work is brought into all of our types of programming.”
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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Raymond Voskamp.
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