
2

"Following political pressure to scale back diversity efforts, the retail giant announced it would cut back its DEI work and elected not to extend a high-profile Center for Racial Equity that had committed to donating $100 million over five years to organizations addressing racial disparities. That pullback has left Black small-business partners feeling exposed—where previous pledges offered both financial promise and distribution opportunities, the rollback has increased uncertainty about long-term retail support and the cultural acknowledgment that shelf placement once provided." - Arionne Nettles