Lowe's Scales Back DEI Programs Amid Growing Backlash

Home improvement retailer Lowe's has decided to reduce its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The company will no longer engage with certain advocacy groups or sponsor community events, merging employee resource groups into a single entity. This move follows increased conservative backlash against corporate diversity initiatives.

Home improvement giant Lowe's has announced substantial reductions to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, becoming the latest U.S. corporation to reconsider such policies designed to enhance racial and ethnic diversity.

An internal memo, verified by Reuters, revealed that Lowe's will cease participating in Human Rights Campaign surveys and consolidate its diverse employee resource groups under one umbrella organization. The firm will also stop sponsoring or participating in community events like parades, festivals, or fairs.

This strategic shift comes amid growing conservative backlash against DEI initiatives, revved up by the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision to abolish affirmative action in college admissions. Lowe's began reassessing its DEI programs around this period, following corporate reactions to public shareholder letters and societal unrest after the 2020 police killings of George Floyd and other Black Americans.

(With inputs from agencies.)