Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: ‘If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are’
Dr. Bernice King stated that companies quickly retreating from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives reveal a lack of genuine commitment. She argued that true adherence to values means maintaining them even under pressure, citing Delta Air Lines and Costco as examples of companies that have publicly defended their DEI efforts. King and other panelists suggested that many organizations treated DEI as a marketing tactic rather than an embedded principle, leading to a loss of trust among employees and consumers. AI