Ford Motor Company is stepping back from several of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, aligning with a growing trend among American companies this year to reevaluate “woke” policies. Ford joins other major firms like John Deere, Lowe’s, and Tractor Supply in this shift.
Robby Starbuck, an anti-woke activist and filmmaker known for scrutinizing corporate DEI practices, revealed on X that he was investigating Ford when the company provided him with documents showing recent adjustments to its policies.
Starbuck shared a letter from Ford CEO Jim Farley addressed to employees, in which Farley acknowledged that “the external and legal landscape regarding political and social issues is constantly changing.” As a result, the company has “reassessed our policies and practices” over the past year.
In his letter, Farley detailed several points, including the fact that Ford does not use quotas for hiring and focuses its resources on business objectives rather than publicly engaging in controversial issues. He also highlighted changes to the company’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), emphasizing that all ERGs are now accessible to every employee.
Farley also informed employees that earlier this year, Ford decided to withdraw from the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index. This annual survey assesses “policies, practices, and benefits related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) employees.”
When contacted by Tv5s Business, Ford confirmed the letter’s authenticity and stated, “The communication to our global employees speaks for itself. We have no further comments.”
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a major progressive nonprofit, criticized Ford’s decision in a statement released on its website. HRC President Kelley Robinson remarked, “Today, Ford Motor Company retreated from its commitment to its employees by yielding to internet critic Robby Starbuck, indicating that inclusion and other fundamental values are no longer a priority in their workplace.”
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Robinson remarked, “After decades of dedication to inclusion and achieving top ratings on the HRC Foundation Corporate Equality Index, the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Disability
’s Disability Equality Index, along with a long history of funding scholarships for Hispanic students, the Human Rights Campaign is deeply disappointed to see Ford Motor Company neglecting its responsibilities to its employees, consumers, and shareholders.”
The HRC has recently issued similar criticisms of Home Depot’s partner Lowe’s and Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman, following reports that both companies have ended their participation in the HRC surveys.
HRC attributes the withdrawal of these companies to Starbuck’s influence, and the anti-woke activist has taken credit for these shifts. Celebrating Farley’s memo to Ford employees, Starbuck told his followers on X, “Thanks to your support, we’ve influenced corporate policy at Tractor Supply, John Deere, Harley Davidson, Polaris, Indian Motorcycle, Lowe’s, and now Ford.” He added, “We are making progress and will continue to restore common sense to corporate America, one company at a time.”
