Fast food franchise McDonald’s has announced that it is redrafting its diversity guidelines, marking yet another victory for protests against corporate wokeness. The company stated that it will retire “aspirational representation goals” — essentially quotas in hiring — and will cease consultation with external surveys such as the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index. It’s also ending its “Supply Chain’s Mutual Commitment to DEI pledge.”
This development comes after Robby Starbuck, conservative film director and political commentator, contacted McDonald’s about its woke policies, threatening to expose them publicly. Although not completely satisfied with McDonald’s changes, Starbuck acknowledges the significant step taken by the chain while also aiming to transform other companies that he believes have strayed from their key business focus. He stresses that corporations should not engage in political discourse unless it directly impacts them, arguing that consumers have the right to know how their money is being utilized.
Furthermore, McDonald’s joins an expanding list of corporations implementing similar policy changes, denoting a shift in corporate America’s attitudes towards contentious societal issues. High-profile companies, including Walmart, Lowe’s, and Ford, have revised their business practices in line with demands from the public. Starbuck maintains that the era of corporate wokeness is dying and applauds the return to neutrality of a significant number of large American companies.