Jack Daniel’s announced earlier this week that it will reevaluate and roll back its involvement in several “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives.
The announcement comes amid increasing scrutiny and criticism of corporate “woke” agendas throughout the United States. Jack Daniel’s, under the umbrella of its parent company Brown-Forman, has decided to end its participation in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and cancel several related programs.
Jack Daniel’s will also pivot away from linking executive bonuses and employee goals to diversity metrics, focusing instead on business performance. Additionally, the company will end its diversity ambitions and cut back on allegedly “woke” training programs, Fox News reported.
Robby Starbuck, a vocal critic of “corporate wokeness” and an activist known for successfully putting a spotlight on companies like Harley-Davidson and John Deere, claims he played a big role in this latest development.
Starbuck claimed credit for pressuring Jack Daniel’s to adopt this new stance, citing his recent investigations into the company’s policies.
”Big news: The next company we were set to expose was @JackDaniels_US. They must have been tipped off by us going through employee LinkedIn pages. They just preemptively announced that they’ll be making these changes,” Starbuck posted on X.
“We’re talking company drag shows and promoting every single possible conceivable sexual identity. Things that totally did not align with their customer base. It was an incredibly smart move for them to get ahead on this before it was in the media for three weeks,” Starbuck told Fox News.
In a recently issued letter to employees, Brown-Forman’s leadership explained the shift by acknowledging changes in the business environment and legal landscape at Jack Daniels, saying, “ … the world has evolved, our business has changed, and the legal and external landscape has shifted dramatically.”
Starbuck has been pushing back against what he describes as radical social agendas being executed by major corporations. His previous campaigns have led to significant backlash against companies perceived as overly left-wing, including Harley-Davidson, which recently faced considerable consumer pushback over similar issues, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The backlash against Harley-Davidson reached its peak at the recent Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, with many bikers criticizing the brand’s choice to embrace “woke” ideologies and force DEI initiatives and training demands upon its employees.
FirstPost reported that Harley-Davidson’s stock fell 11% to its lowest level in three years following the company’s announcement of a 24% drop in profits in the third quarter last October.
Earlier this week, Harley-Davidson likewise announced it was ending its DEI initiatives and would reevaluate its sponsorships and affiliations, including its support for LGBTQ Pride events, as DX reported.