On Feb. 28, a loose confederation of political interest groups planned a nationwide economic boycott of specific vendors, including Walmart, Best Buy, etc. The purpose is to get those stores and others to re-institute their DEI policies recently “overturned” by orders of the Trump administration. Several Black groups have said they are joining the call for the boycotts, particularly several Black religious groups. Their shared view is that Americans should not spend their money in entities that do not promote equal opportunity and inclusion policies.
To be clear, DEI policies in today’s world stand for what was formerly called American affirmative action policies until recently. The Trump administration has come out of the starting gate making a frontal attack on any federally supported workplace or educational practice that can be labeled a DEI initiative, including directly firing federal personnel assigned to promote DEI practices in the workplace and in educational facilities.
DEI programs, the current acronym for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies and programs, have essentially been in the public eye since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the law which outlawed employment discrimination based on race, religion, sex, color or national origin. That law also banned segregation in public places, such as schools and libraries. Lately, however, the understanding of that law includes gender, sex and equity concerns, including transgender bathroom usage, etc.
Because one of the big issues in American public education currently is whether transgender athletes who were originally males can compete in athletic endeavors against female athletes has become such a big topic, and a large number of male legislators seem to sense a grand attack against dominant male activity in American society, the DEI issue remains a worrisome one in America. The Trump administration has seized on that issue—promoting it heavily during the presidential campaign—and come in like a hungry lion against DEI at the very beginning of Trump’s new presidency.
Thus a current collection of public interest groups have coalesced recently to fight this new Trumpian wave against any identifiable DEI policies and practice in American institutions, public or private. Even though the current batch of nationwide DEI policies can be seen as “organizational frameworks that seek to promote fair treatment of all people, particularly groups that have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination because of their identity or disability,” and they are protected by law, including the current mix of training programs, resource networks and recruiting practices in American institutions, the Trumpian attack has essentially said burn them all. Thus, the planned February 28th economic boycotts are the beginning of a public counterattack.
Economic boycotts that are well organized and targeted generally do well in the U.S. It will be interesting how this first major attempt goes. Several reparations groups are very interested, since that tactic is now being studied for use in situational issues in America. Smart groups are re-looking at the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and its associated economic thrusts , as organized and led by Dr. ML King. Stay tuned. 2025 already seems like it will go forward like a House-On -Fire!!
Professor David L. Horne is founder and executive director of PAPPEI, the Pan African Public Policy and Ethical Institute, which is a new 501(c)(3) pending community-based organization or non-governmental organization (NGO). It is the stepparent organization for the California Black Think Tank which still operates and which meets every fourth Friday.
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