Juneteenth is here and all I can think is how much has changed in just one year. What was once celebrated by brands and recognized as a federal holiday during President Biden’s term, is now the polar opposite under Trump. It begs the question: “Is Juneteenth even still a federal holiday with the new administration?”   

Soon after taking office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to end DEI claiming that it fosters illegal preferences and discrimination. Once this happened, DEI officially became a slur and weaponized, which caused thousands of companies to walk back on the commitments that were made – and instead give in to political bullies.  

Target. Meta. Walmart. Amazon. McDonald’s. Lowe’s. Google. Ford. Harley-Davidson. JPMorgan Chase. Morgan Stanley. Pepsi. Best Buy. Citigroup. Disney. PBS. Deloitte. John Deere. Brown-Forman. This list includes some of the world’s biggest brands that have completely dismantled their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, programs and departments as a result of political pushback from the Trump administration. Already, multiple cities have cancelled Juneteenth celebrations due to the political climate since Trump’s return to office.   

What’s worse is that these companies made lofty promises and pledges around Juneteenth that pushed for DEI to address systemic barriers in 2020 amidst the Black Lives Matter movement and George Floyd’s murder. Many of these brands jumped on the bandwagon and flocked to post black squares to their social media pages and vowing to do anything to win over a customer base they failed to engage with prior. It was all merely performative.   

Juneteenth is in its fifth year and despite the efforts of many it can’t be erased. Consumers are making sure of that and are fighting back. Since the DEI pushback, there have been lawsuits and boycotts to stop spending money at brands like Target. It’s worth noting that Target reportedly saw a 17% decline in stock value after scaling back its DEI programs. Not to mention, earlier in the year there was a nationwide economic blackout that called for Americans to avoid buying anything from brands that have rolled back DEI and instead shop small businesses instead.  

It’s obvious that DEI is going through an evolution, and that most don’t understand what DEI is. That’s how misinformation happens. Such as, DEI allows unqualified or rather incompetent people to take things away from others. And that it is reverse discrimination. However, amidst that noise is an opportunity to set the record straight. Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools to own the narrative and get the truth out there by communicating effectively what the benefits of DEI actually are. DEI is more than just race. It’s about creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, valued, and can thrive despite their background. It’s about everything that makes us each unique and why together that only can mean that we’re better and stronger. It’s not divisive like many claim.   

Brands that show up only when it’s convenient risk losing trust and credibility amongst customers. It’ll only become more challenging to attract top talent, compete or even innovate. Consumers today are very savvy and won’t forget the brands staying silent or ditching Juneteenth and other cultural celebrations when it used to be like clockwork to don your support and appreciation for diverse communities.