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Writer's pictureDave Price

RIP, DEI

Some conservatives have pushed back at corporate, governmental, organizational, and education efforts to prioritize initiatives focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Following some of the latest backlash, John Deere has reduced some of its DEI focus.


RELATED: American Farmland Owner previously reported on Tractor Supply changing its DEI commitments. Read that here. 


DEI has become a three-letter source of opposition from some who contend that prioritizing efforts toward groups that have been traditionally at a disadvantage for generations is either not needed, not warranted, or not legal.


John Deere announced its changes on July 16th:

Deere’s retreat from DEI priorities brought both limited praise but also criticism from some critics.

Xi Van Fleet, an author who found viral fame when she spoke out against Critical Race Theory during a school board meeting in Virginia in 2021, cheered Deere’s announcement.



But John Deere’s announcement did not go far enough for Robby Starbuck, who used his online following to pressure the company to remove all DEI support.



In an undated post on John Deere’s website, there is an article titled, “Leading with a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mindset.”

 

The article described how the accounting and finance department promoted “inclusive hiring practices.”


“When Leslee Hager, vice president of internal audit, talks about DEI at John Deere, she often references ‘square zero.’ It's a phrase, or marker, that describes the starting point in an employee's personal journey toward educating themselves in understanding the differences inherent in all people, including race, ethnicity, disabilities, sexual orientation, gender, etc.”



RELATED: The National Review showed how John Deere had prioritized a series of DEI initiatives that the company began two years only now to announce that it was making changes. Read that here. 


Organizations that believe DEI programs are vital to creating a level playing field criticized John Deere for ending some of its commitments.


"It is the farmer, not the machine that will take care of the crop and ensure it grows. I challenge John Deere to service all of America's farmers, including Black farmers," said John W. Boyd, Jr., president of the National Black Farmers Association.


Just like it did when Tractor Supply scaled back DEI efforts, the National Black Farmers Association called for the resignation of John Deere CEO John May.



Black Americans make up a tiny share of those in agriculture.


About 1% of American farmers are Black, according to the USDA. That is far less than the 14% of Americans who are Black.


Some companies had made a greater commitment to serving and recruiting Black Americans following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis in 2020. That killing prompted marches across the country for racial justice and greater commitments to equality.

But conservatives have been resisting those efforts recently, sometimes calling for boycotts. Those demands have grown more frequent since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that ended affirmative action in college admissions.


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