Apple’s board of directors has asked its investors to block a proposal to eliminate the company’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, according to a proxy filing from the company.
Conservative think tank the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) has pressured the company to scrap its DEI policies – even threatening legal action – with the argument that they expose firms to “litigation, reputational and financial risks.”
Apple has said to its investors that, “The proposal is unnecessary as Apple already has a well-established compliance program.” The board also said that the DEI rollback proposition “inappropriately seeks to micromanage the company’s programs and policies by suggesting specific means of legal compliance.”
The NCPPR has a substantial amount of influence and is a member of the advisory board of the controversial Project 2025, which hopes to undo “almost everything implemented” by the Biden government. It includes proposals such as having the Department of Justice prosecute “anti-white racism,” rejecting abortion as healthcare, and denying climate change and increasing the US’ reliance on fossil fuels.
Meta and Amazon are among other major firms that have rolled back their DEI programs ahead of White House return of Donald Trump, who has been highly critical of DEI policies in the past.
What are Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies?
DEI policies are organizational frameworks within educational institutions, state legislatures and workplaces that aim to promote the fair treatment and integrated participation of all people – particularly those who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination due to identity or disability.
Diversity is embracing the differences that every individual brings to the equation, whether it’s race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other aspects of social identity.
Equity involves treating everyone fairly and providing equal opportunities, and inclusion involves respecting everyone’s voice, creating a culture where people from all backgrounds feel comfortable and encouraged to express themselves.
Speaking to CNN, Daniel Oppong, founder of The Courage Collective, a company that advises companies of DEI, said the program was created because marginalized communities have often been excluded from equal opportunities.
“This is the genesis of why some of these programs exist,” said Oppong, “It was an attempt to try and create workplaces where more or all people can thrive.”
According to a 2023 study by the Pew Research Center, 61% of adults in the US say their workplace has policies that prioritize fairness in hiring, promotions and pay; 56% of American adults believe this is a “mainly a good thing.”
NCPPR's proposal is set to be put to a vote by shareholders at Apple's annual general meeting on February 25.
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