From these latest surveys, Americans are putting their consumer dollars to work by withdrawing their support from companies altering their DEI agendas. This fierce reaction underscores their anger at the status quo and government’s failure to deliver on a promise. An alarming new Harris poll finds that at least 36% of Americans are actively engaging in these boycotts. Their primary motivations are to demonstrate the economic strength of consumers, which 53% of them said, and express discontent with government policies, which 49% reported.
On social media, the movement is building further as people demand boycotts. They go after businesses that they perceive are aiding and abetting former President Donald Trump’s agenda. Importantly, one fifth of Americans say they will permanently stop supporting companies that change their policies in this way. Even major corporations such as Target and Walmart have recalibrated their DEI plans recently. This change of course is an obvious indicator of the overall mood and spirit in our society today.
Target announced the cessation of hiring goals for marginalized groups, while Walmart indicated that it will no longer prioritize women- or minority-owned suppliers. These corporate decisions have generated counter-reactions, most notably from Hispanic communities, where activists helped launch the Latino Freeze Movement. This inspired nationwide boycott moves people to stop purchasing secondary goods until large corporations start showing concern for minority and immigrant communities.
“These rollbacks represent more than just corporate decisions; they reflect a deeper erosion of the moral and ethical commitment necessary to build a just society,” stated Rev Jamal Bryant, a pastor based in Baltimore.
Pastor Rev Jamal Bryant called on his congregants and followers to boycott Target throughout Lent. He went on to explain that this act of resistance is symbolic of the movement’s spiritual dimension.
“This Lent, we will begin a corporate fast, starting with Target, as a spiritual act of resistance,” he asserted.
The latest Harris poll indicates that 31% of Americans are considering “sitting this one out” in our up economy this year. This decision is a product of the highly charged political environment. The current boycotts are a symptom of a deeper cultural war in which DEI programs have become the current point of contention. This tension is revealing of an ongoing dynamic between corporations and consumers. As Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at the Harris Poll, put it, they are all involved in a “political game of chicken with HAZARDOUS consequences.”
“Companies and consumers are playing a high-stakes game of chicken – corporations betting on convenience winning out over conviction, while consumers wield their spending power like a weapon,” Rodney explained.
However, Rodney cautioned against underestimating consumer resolve.
“The data suggests this is a miscalculation,” she noted.