Harley DavidsonThe iconic Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer announced Monday decided to eliminate many of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The company said that this step was taken after Face pressure from anti-diversity critics On social networks.
“We are saddened by the negativity that has been seen on social media in recent weeks Divide the Harley-Davidson community“, the company said in a statement published in X Bloomberg,
decision of Harley Davidson Follow in the footsteps of other companies like John Deere & Company Y Tractor SupplyWhich also ended their variety programs.
According to Harley-Davidson, the company now has “DEI FunctionsAnd from April 2024, the operation of such program has stopped.
,As a company, we take this issue very seriously.And it is our responsibility to respond with clarity, action and facts, Harley-Davidson said in its statement.
The company also said it has discontinued recruitment quotas Does not maintain “supplier diversity spending objectives” Designed to spread expenses across businesses run by people from different backgrounds.
Besides, The company confirmed it will no longer participate in the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) scoring and will remove any “socially motivated content” from its employee training materials.
“We believe having a broad base of employees and customers is good for business and that, ultimately, everyone should enjoy riding a Harley-Davidson,” the company stressed, reaffirming its commitment to inclusion, but from a different perspective.
We are committed to listening to all members of our community as we continue our journey together as One Harley-Davidson. We ride together. pic.twitter.com/0feGYhTUMh
— Harley-Davidson (@harleydavidson) August 19, 2024
Immediate reaction to Harley-Davidson’s decision
“It is time to get rid of these policies Reclaim a sense of neutrality and discretion in corporate America“he declared Robbie StarbucksConservative political commentator who praised Harley-Davidson’s decision in a statement on X.
Cuban-American activist Starbuck is one of the most prominent critics of DEI policies at the corporate level. According to her, DEI initiatives weave social and political issues into the company culture, which she believes is inappropriate.
In July, Starbuck took direct aim at Harley-Davidson on social media, claiming the company had “woke up completely“. Since then, their campaign has gained strength, which influenced the company’s final decision.
“We’ve kind of reached a critical level,” Starbuck said, referring to the impact of social media posts from Harley-Davidson influencers.
Another victory for our movement. I couldn’t have done this without all of you. @Harley Davidson He just released this statement in which he promises:
• No more DEI function
• No more supplier diversity spend targets
• They will no longer participate @HRC Scoring
• Sponsorship Activities… pic.twitter.com/HMICsQAbz4
— Robbie Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) August 19, 2024