Due to President Donald Trump’s orders, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI) are being removed from companies. This happened on Jan. 21 and 22. Target and Amazon are two big companies who are moving away from DEI programs. Consumers are not happy about this executive order as it affects many people. Companies should still promote diversity, equity and inclusion, but there is still work to be done to change the federal government’s involvement. The federal government should not be in charge of limiting what is fair for all people.
First, DEI values traditionally underrepresented populations, which often improve a sense of belonging in a workplace. Diversity brings a variety of ideas and experiences, which lead to more creative ways for inclusion. This benefits companies across all areas.
According to Reuters, “DEI programs, designed to promote opportunities for women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ people and other traditionally underrepresented people.”
Companies value a variety of employees to appeal to their customers, which would help increase profits as well as employee satisfaction. The government should not have a say in who companies hire and for what reasons. If they are qualified and perform their job duties they should not be eliminated.
Also, President Trump contradicts himself in the order as he refers to treating every person with equal dignity and respect. In the order it directly states that each person should be treated with dignity and respect, but the government eliminating DEI initiatives goes against this statement.
According to WhiteHouse.gov, “Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great.”
The government should not be taking these rights away. It is their responsibility to uphold the law, not interfere with who companies employ.
Third, promoting diversity in businesses leads to greater success and in turn a better economy. Since Trump’s goal is to make America great, this proves that the DEI programs help with that.
According to CNN, “It’s adding value, it’s helping us drive sales, It’s building greater engagement with both our teams and our guests. And those are just the right things for our businesses today.”
Businesses still need to promote diversity, as it leads to better success for the companies. More success leads to better profits, which increases the economy.
Similarly, some people are calling to boycott shopping at Target. However, there are several Black-owned businesses in Target or on Target online. This boycott could not serve the purpose it is trying to serve as boycotting all of Target could also mean boycotting some of these Black-owned companies.
According to PBS, in discussing boycotting Target, “The founders of several Black-owned businesses that sell their products in Target stores or through the company’s online platforms have expressed concern that a broad boycott might hurt them,” since they sell their products at Target.
A Target boycott might not be the answer. It could be counterproductive and create negative economic consequences.
Similarly, Target is trying to drive their business and promote inclusion for all. Even though Target may be moving away from previous DEI initiatives, they still aim to be inclusive with both employees and customers.
Target said that they are going to focus on making their business better by creating a sense of belonging for their team as well as guests, explained Sustainability Magazine.
This is what should be happening for all businesses. If this is what is happening, there will not be issues at all with diversity, equity and inclusion through companies. The federal government does not need to be involved with regulations regarding diversity, equity and inclusion, this is a right of all Americans.
Lastly, consumers are more likely to buy from companies who employ people who look like them. Not every consumer is a White American.
According to Wordstream, “The buying power of minority groups in the U.S. is exploding. It was $4.2 trillion in 2020 and is projected to reach $7 trillion by 2025.”
Consumers want to support businesses that are socially responsible and that they feel drawn to. Promoting inclusion, provides consumers a way to feel connected to a company’s products.
Businesses should still promote diversity, equity and inclusion and the federal government does not need to be involved in these decisions. Companies expressed that having traditionally underrepresented populations both promoted employee job satisfaction as well as company profits. The government claims to want to improve the economy so they should look to solve their problems somewhere else.
