Costco shareholders are facing increasing backlash for doubling down on so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.
Last week the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank, submitted a proposal to Costco shareholders warning that the company’s DEI initiatives posed a risk to its bottom line.
Then on Friday, a majority of Costco shareholders voted against the proposal after Costco’s board of directors urged them to vote against it as per their “commitment to an enterprise rooted in respect and inclusion.”
Costco’s shareholders are backed in their pro-DEI nonsense by race hustler Al Sharpton:
Leading a buy-in with 100+ @NationalAction members at the @Costco location in Harlem, NYC to show support for the company’s strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
This comes as DEI policies face growing attacks from both President Trump and the private… pic.twitter.com/D2eYTeAZlV
— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) January 25, 2025
Ethan Peck, the deputy director of the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Free Enterprise Project (NCPR), for his part, remains confident that this small hiccup won’t stop Costco from eventually dropping its DEI nonsense.
“Just months before Boeing dropped DEI, they opposed our shareholder proposal requesting an audit of their DEI efforts,” he told Fox Business Network. “So Costco doubling down on DEI in the proxy statement is not as meaningful as has been made out to be. There’s still a decent chance that Costco drops DEI by the end of the year.”
Maybe, but Costco board member Jeff Raikes is reportedly a hardcore DEI advocate.
Case in point:
Attacks on DEI aren’t just bad for business—they hurt our economy. A diverse workforce drives innovation, expands markets, and fuels growth. Let’s focus on building a future where all talent thrives. #DEI #Leadership #InclusiveEconomy https://t.co/15hIvSo5L5
— Jeff Raikes (@jeffraikes) November 20, 2024
Meanwhile, 19 Republican attorneys general have warned Costco “to end all unlawful discrimination imposed by the company through diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
“Racial discrimination is both immoral and illegal,” Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach told Fox News in a statement. “Race-based employment hiring violates state and federal law, and as the chief law enforcement officer of Kansas, I intend to enforce the law vigorously.”
The specific law in question is one signed by President Donald Trump that orders DEI to be excised both from the government and the private marketplace.
“Trump’s executive order, signed during his first week in office, will task the attorneys general with rooting out sectors and organizations that allegedly engage in discriminatory DEI practices,” Fox News notes. “Recommendations will be made for potential lawsuits against violators.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has also threatened Costco.
“It’s time to ditch DEI,” she told Fox News. “While other companies right the ship and abandon their illegal, woke policies, Costco has doubled down. I’m putting Costco on notice to do the right thing and eliminate discriminatory DEI. No American should be denied an opportunity because they don’t fit the woke mold.”
The 19 AGs penned a letter to Costco CEO Ron Vachris noting that “race-neutral practices,” which are the opposite of DEI policies, “honor the founding ideals of this country.”
“Now, the federal government is also focusing on ensuring invidious race-based discrimination no longer finds a home in woke corporations,” the letter continues.
The letter concludes with the AGs wanting Costsco to inform them within 30 days either “that Costco has repealed its DEI policies or explain why Costco has failed to do so.”
BREAKING: 19 Attorney General’s just sent a letter to Costco warning that DEI policies are illegal when they discriminate based on race.
The 19 state AG’s also demand that Costco communicates if they’ll drop DEI within 30 days or explain why they’re keeping DEI.
We will win. pic.twitter.com/CFJH3INVDf
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 28, 2025
In related news, Target is facing backlash for the opposite — for actually rolling back its DEI initiatives.
“Target’s decision to scale back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs is being met with backlash from the LGBTQ+ community on the Minneapolis-headquartered retailer’s home turf,” according to Fox Business Network.
For example, organizers of the Twin Cities Pride Festival, which Target has long sponsored, have said the retailer is no longer welcome.
“In the current climate that we are having to live in as a community, I made the decision that it would not be in the best interest of our community to have Target’s presence at Pride or the parade this year,” Twin Cities Pride Festival Executive Director Andi Otto said.
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