How Americans Really Feel About Corporate DEI Rollbacks

In recent years, corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs have become a perennial target of conservative politicians, organizations and media pundits — all of whom have made a key issue out of deprioritizing the practice. And in recent months, many large brands have done just that. 

Major tech companies like Google and Meta began cutting budgets for diverse employee resources groups and laying off staff in DEI-related roles late last year. More of their Silicon Valley peers followed suit in early 2024. Some companies have even gone so far as to eliminate DEI programs and goals in their entirety.

As this wave of anti-DEI sentiment sweeps corporate America, new Morning Consult data offers insight into how various groups are reacting — or not. We found that awareness of and support for the trend largely follows generational, partisan and identity-based lines, once again spotlighting the increasingly factionalized nature of the American consumer cohort. 

Corporate decisions to limit DEI efforts aren’t reaching the general public en masse

Less than 2 in 5 (38%) U.S. adults said they have seen, read or heard something about companies rolling back DEI initiatives, suggesting that this news has yet to permeate the public consciousness in a broadly meaningful way.

Still, awareness is notably higher among men (47%) and Republicans (42%), a skew that closely aligns with the demographics of those who consider themselves fans of right-leaning voices and outlets, like Tucker Carlson and Fox News, that frequently espouse negative views on DEI. 

In contrast, a smaller share of women (29%) reported having heard about the trend — an outcome that can be explained, in part, by their generally lower levels of news consumption. But Morning Consult Intelligence data reveals that another media usage habit might also be playing a role. 

Relative to the average U.S. adult, women are much less likely to use the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where anti-DEI content has flourished since billionaire Elon Musk’s takeover in late 2022. (Musk regularly expresses opposition to DEI programs in posts on his personal account, too.) 

The disparate levels of awareness about recent DEI rollbacks speak to the siloing influence of media diets today. With so many sources for news and analysis — especially sources that are algorithmically-informed — it’s easier than ever to exist in an echo chamber of one’s own design (at least online). Accordingly, brands should no longer assume that the average consumer has been exposed to a certain issue or message.

Support for rolling back DEI programs diverges along demographic lines

Consumers’ views on DEI walkbacks mirror their overall awareness of it: Sizable shares of men, Republicans and older adults are in favor of companies doing things like decreasing the influence of DEI programs or ending them entirely. At the same time, women, Democrats, younger adults and people of color largely oppose these actions.

The outsized support of rollback efforts by men and Republicans may be a function of fear, as these two groups are among the most likely to say that DEI programs “mostly hurt” people like them. They are also among the least likely to believe that brands are genuine in their efforts to help minority groups through DEI initiatives. What’s more, there’s a strong connection between brands promoting diversity and inclusion and being perceived as “woke,” which previous Morning Consult research found is a descriptor that male and right-leaning consumers broadly view as negative. 

This omnipresent feeling of “being under attack” by certain societal institutions or norms colors other parts of life for both subsets of consumers, too. It’s a sentiment that is partly responsible for lots of recent cultural trends, like a rise in popularity of “trad” content online or the widening ideology gap between genders.

That said, it’s important to note that the share of all U.S. adults who support companies walking back DEI commitments is generally lower than the share who oppose this kind of action — meaning, at the highest level, Americans are in favor of companies continuing existing DEI programs. 

Most Americans see value in DEI programs 

Nearly 3 in 5 (58%) U.S. adults said that DEI initiatives are either “very” or “somewhat” important to the success of most businesses, and this share was even higher (63%) among those who are currently employed full-time.

This is consistent with data featured in Morning Consult’s recent report on consumer appetite for corporate engagement amid the 2024 election cycle, which found that approximately 2 in 3 (66%) employed U.S. adults believe the presence of DEI programs positively impacts their organization’s culture.

Another finding consistent with this research? Consumers are more likely to take notice of — and place value on — internal DEI efforts over external ones. For example, clear majorities of U.S. adults said recruiting (57%) and promoting (55%) employees from minority groups is effective at achieving workplace equality, while less than half (47%) said the same about companies supporting inclusion through product lines, such as selling LGBTQ+ Pride or Black History Month merchandise. 

The future of corporate DEI programs 

Brands that have walked back on existing DEI commitments have yet to face any major consumer reactions — bad or good. Morning Consult data shows that this will likely continue to be the case for the immediate future: Just 21% of U.S. adults said they have boycotted a brand after learning it reversed course on any stated DEI efforts, and an equally low share (20%) said the same about buycotting, which is when consumers intentionally purchase from a brand because of its political, ethical or social stances.

And while threats or opportunities tied to DEI rollbacks are minimal, brands that engage in them still risk sacrificing long-term favorability among the general public to bend toward the short-term demands of a smaller few — especially considering that the topic has proven so enduring.