Walmart Is the Latest Major Retailer to Face Boycotts Over DEI Rollbacks

Since the start of the Trump administration, there has been wave of boycotts and protests to the president's policies. Some of those boycotts have also extended to companies that, after he took office, rolled back initiatives that may have offended the president.

Many of those rollbacks were to policies that emphasized the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Walmart was one company that stepped back its efforts following Trump's election, and now, people across the country are calling for a week-long boycott of one of America's biggest retailers. Here's what we know.

The boycott of Walmart is supposed to last from April 7 to April 14, and has been organized by The People's Union. This group also coordinated the one-day consumer blackout on Feb. 28, and the organization has been promoting weekly boycotts of various brands in response to corporate greed and the rollback of DEI policies designed to promote diversity within their workforces.

Josh Schwartz, who organized the People's Union and was the first to call for the initial economic blackout, posted a video in which he explained his rationale for the Walmart boycott.

"Seven days. No Walmart. No more funding the very corporations that hoard billions while your families and mine work two jobs just to survive," he said. "This is not just a boycott. This is a message. We are the economy."

"We are reminding these corporations and the politicians they sponsor that without us, they truly are and have nothing," he continued. "We are not asking for handouts. We are demanding accountability. These corporations must pay their fair share in taxes. They must fight manufacturers for a reasonable profit cap, and there must be a return to human dignity in this country, across the board."

In response to Schwartz's video and the broader call for a Walmart boycott, Walmart released a statement in which they offered a defense of their policies.

"As one of the largest corporate taxpayers in the country, not only do we pay our fair share, we are an economic force multiplier strengthening communities nationwide through job creation, supplier growth, and over $1.7 billion in cash and in-kind donations last year,'' the statement said.

"We remain dedicated to earning the business of all Americans and giving our time and resources to causes that uplift and unite communities who rely on us every day," they continued.

These kinds of boycott have had a limited impact on the bottom lines of the companies being targeted, but just as importantly, they have led more people to scrutinize the actions of the companies they purchase things from.

Walmart is unlikely to buckle as the result of a single week-long protest, but that doesn't mean that they won't feel any effects from this boycott. If people choose to go grocery shopping somewhere else, even if it's just for one week, that could lead to some minor financial pain, even if it doesn't change everything all at once.