Corporate America’s retreat from DEI is short-sighted—and just plain dumb

Surrendering to right-wing pressure, major brands like Lowes and Harley-Davidson are scaling back diversity initiatives. They risk alienating employees and future customers, these DEI experts say.

The dissonance is inescapable. Corporations like Lowes, Jack Daniels, and Harley Davidson retreat from DEI despite a drumbeat of reminders that their future customers and employees are the most diverse of our time. A human resources organization drops “equity” from its work, even as Gen Z views DEI as a workplace must-have.