Ford drops DEI programs, withdraws from Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ+ ranking system

"We are mindful that our employees and customers hold a wide range of beliefs, and the external and legal environment related to political and social issues continues to evolve," Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a memo to employees. He also wrote that the company will "stop participating in external culture surveys such as the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and various 'best places to work' lists."

Along with Ford, other companies that have announced a change of policy include JPMorgan Chase and Harley Davidson, while hardware superstore Lowe's joined this week.

The DEI trend among corporations started after the death of George Floyd and the subsequent riots that suggested race and gender equality was still a major issue in America.

But companies are having second thoughts about imposing DEI programs on their workforce, especially when threatened with a boycott, as Jack Daniel's parent company was, or with a shareholder letter that says DEI programs are nothing more than illegal discrimination of one race over another and a violation of the corporation’s duty to investors.

Concerns over DEI training and policies have grown following the US Supreme Court ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action programs in university admissions. Supporters of DEI maintain that it promotes fairer hiring and promotion of minorities.

Farley said in the memo that America’s oldest automobile maker would shift its focus to more traditional objectives like keeping employees, customers and stockholders happy instead of “publicly commenting on the polarizing issues of the day."

Robby Starbuck, a conservative activist who has been leading the charge in boycotting companies with DEI policies, obtained the memo and wrote, “Big news: We were in the middle of investigating woke policies @Ford but this morning Ford confirmed to me that they’re making changes. This isn't everything we want but it's a great start. We're now forcing multi-billion dollar organizations to change their policies.”

Ford has also delayed the introduction of the electric truck after cutting back on EV-150s because of low consumer demand, opting instead to focus on providing an all-hybrid lineup to consumers by 2030.