Major companies still engaging in DEI policies under new names, consumer watchdog claims

FIRST ON FOX – A conservative consumer advocacy group is alleging that multiple companies are continuing to undertake diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies under different names after seemingly rolling them back.

Consumers’ Research (CR), dedicated to educating potential shoppers on companies’ woke policies and other matters that could influence their choices, says four major U.S. corporations – Kohl’s, Dollar Tree, UPS and Nationwide – are trying to disguise their ongoing DEI policies by rebranding them under different terms.

“It’s the same racism under a different name. Rebranding from DEI doesn’t change the anti-White and anti-Asian nature of these activities. Corporations should focus on serving customers by finding and retaining the best talent, not engaging in a retrograde racial patronage scheme,” Consumers’ Research Executive Director Will Hild told Fox News Digital. 

Kohl’s announced last month it was rolling back its DEI initiatives after the Trump administration issued several executive orders on the subject. 

RED STATES GET IN LINE WITH TRUMP’S DEI BAN IN SCHOOLS AS COMPLIANCE DEADLINE NEARS

The company removed “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” language from its website, and Chief Diversity Officer Michelle Banks became the Chief Belonging and Inclusion officer.

“At Kohl’s, our priority as a company is to reflect our values of being a welcoming, respectful and inclusive company for all of our associates and all of the customers we serve. We believe that an inclusive and productive workforce that serves a broad base of customers will only help drive our business forward,” Kohl’s Inclusion and Belonging website section says. 

Dollar Tree has also swapped out the term “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” for the less controversial “Culture of Belonging.” However, Dollar Tree’s website still states that the company is operating a “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Executive Council.”

The council’s mission is to allow “our senior managers to advocate for strategies that promote and embrace diversity,” according to its website. 

ANTI-WOKE NONPROFIT SENDS LETTER TO TOP LEGAL FIRMS IN AMERICA WARNING ABOUT DEI

Nationwide and UPS have also swapped out “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” for different terms on their websites. Nationwide’s DEI page is now labeled “Belonging, Respect and Fairness”, and UPS’ is now titled “Inclusion and Belonging.”

CR says that these changes in language do not reflect a meaningful change in policy, but rather an attempt to evade the ire of the Trump administration while still pursuing their DEI objectives.

Upon taking office, President Donald Trump signed a number of executive orders banning federal agencies from contracting with companies that engage in DEI, and ordered federal agencies to investigate private sector companies engaging in DEI for possible civil rights law violations. 

Kohl’s, UPS, Nationwide and Dollar Tree did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.