MSNBC host Ali Velshi, after begrudgingly acknowledging the stunning collapse of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies at Walmart, could not keep himself from lauding another major retailer as a stalwart of the racist ideology.
During the Dec. 1 edition of his eponymous MSNBC show, Velshi praised Meijer, a giant Midwest retailer for earning a “perfect score” from the radical LGBTQ+ pressure group, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and for their commitment to possibly discriminatory “supplier diversity”. “Meijer, for example, is another large company that launched specific diversity programs in 2020,” Velshi told his audience. MRC researchers investigated both of these claims. Although Meijer ignored requests for comment, MRC researchers found disconcerting corporate statements on supply diversity by Meijer, while discovering that HRC claims that Meijer adheres to their horrifying criteria for a perfect score. Additionally, Meijer appears to have removed a controversial definition following requests for comment.
During the MSNBC segment, Velshi went on to say that Meijer had massively improved their score on the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI) between 2008 and the present. He specifically said, “[Meijer] amended its company policies and has fully rebounded. HRC now gives it a perfect score. It also committed to supplier diversity, one of the many policies that Walmart has backed away from this week. Buying goods from companies that are majority owned by women, minorities or disabled people or members of the LGBTQ community.”
As acknowledged by Velshi, podcast host Robby Starbuck has repeatedly and successfully called out corporate DEI programs. Since June 27, several companies have stepped away from DEI and the HRC, including Walmart, Ford, Toyota, Molson-Coors, Tractor Supply, Harley-Davidson, Jack Daniel’s parent company Brown-Furman, Stanley Black & Decker, Caterpillar and Lowe’s.
Meijer has yet to do so. MRC researchers reached out to Meijer six times for a response about its relationship with the HRC and commitment to supplier diversity. With no response from Meijer, here are the facts.
Meijer has repeatedly boasted of its perfect CEI scores on its website in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. In turn, the radical HRC has validated Meijer’s alignment with their requirements for this score.
According to the HRC, Meijer “Provides Gender Transition Guidelines and at least one additional transgender inclusive policy or practice for its employees” and has “Equal health coverage for transgender individuals without exclusion for medically necessary care.”
Meijer also failed to answer questions about whether it discriminates based on race and gender to achieve DEI goals. The company frequently touts efforts at supplier diversity, hosting events in September 2020, February 2021, January 2022, and August 2022. Three out of the four events specifically invited applications from “Certified minority-, LGBTQ-, woman-, veteran- and disability-owned businesses,” to apply, seemingly restricted participation to these groups. Meijer also showed their support for supplier diversity by donating $300,000 to the National Minority Supplier Development Council.
On Dec. 2, MRC researchers found that Meijer’s supplier diversity FAQ included the question, “What is a diverse supplier.” The list identified women, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Native Alaskans, LGBT People, veterans, disabled veterans and people with disabilities. It notably excluded men, white people and groups like Italian Americans or Irish Americans. Following questions from the MRC, Meijer removed this question from the page entirely.
Despite these apparently exclusionary lists for supplier diversity events and their definition, Meijer has claimed elsewhere that “Meijer Supplier Inclusion programs are open to all diverse, non-diverse and local vendors.”
Conservatives are under attack! Contact MSNBC at (800) 952-5210 and demand they report on the dangers of leftist DEI ideology infecting American companies.
