
Walmart made big promises after George Floyd’s murder. Now, under pressure from “anti-woke” activists, it’s axing its racial equity center and ditching DEI. Does the company still deserve a piece of Black America’s $1.8 trillion spending power?
Should Black America keep shopping at Walmart when it seems Walmart might have forgotten who helps keep its lights on? Credit: (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Let’s be clear: Walmart needs Black America a heck of a lot more than Black America needs Walmart.
Wielding roughly $1.8 trillion in spending power this year, Black folks’ economic clout is undeniable. We get to choose where we spend our hard-earned cash during the holiday shopping season and beyond.
But Walmart — one of many companies that made lofty promises about fighting systemic racism after George Floyd’s murder — just pulled the plug on its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Now, three weeks after Donald Trump’s election, they claim they want to be “a Walmart for everyone.” And the anti-woke bros on the right are trading high-fives, claiming they forced the retail giant to abandon its DEI initiatives.
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Yes, DEI, the root of all so-called reverse racism in America. Because for some folks in this nation, DEI is code for anything that gives the appearance of supporting Black people, communities, or businesses.
It’s not that Black folks thought the post-George-Floyd-murder racial reckoning would last forever. Our ancestors lived through Reconstruction, so we know better.
But back on June 12, 2020, just days after Floyd’s murder, Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon emoted in a blog post about how the company’s goal was “to help replace the structures of systemic racism, and build in their place frameworks of equity and justice that solidify our commitment to the belief that, without question, Black Lives Matter.”
Keywords: Black America shopping, Walmart alternatives, economic empowerment, community-focused shopping, support Black-owned businesses
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