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Shortly after taking office, President Trump signed multiple executive orders to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government and among its contractors. In the weeks that followed, major companies, such as Walmart and Meta, scaled back their DEI efforts, building off of previous efforts throughout the latter half of 2024, many of which were adopted following the killing of George Floyd and the ensuing protests in 2020. Despite this, CivicScience data show that a majority of Americans support or feel neutral (63%) about DEI efforts, compared to 37% who oppose these initiatives.
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While a plurality supports these efforts, there has been a noticeable shift in public attitudes toward DEI-related issues over the past few years. Concerns about racial equity and gender equality increased throughout 2020 before falling sharply in the first half of 2021 and remaining relatively consistent since then. However, a significant percentage of respondents are still concerned about racial equity (52%) and gender equality (44%). Income inequality concerns, meanwhile, have taken a different trajectory: while they also declined during the first half of 2021, worries about income inequality quickly bounced back, and 75% of respondents today remain concerned about income inequality in the United States.
Similarly, the percentage of respondents who say a company’s social consciousness and overall kindness are at least ‘somewhat’ important in shaping where to shop and what to buy increased in 2020 to 80%. However, this figure fell in mid-2021 to 68% but bounced back since then. As of mid-February 2025, 74% report that a company’s social consciousness and overall kindness are important to them in where they shop. While this is down from 2020, it still represents a significant portion of Americans who say a company’s kindness is important to them.
What does this mean for brands? CivicScience data show that whether a company takes a strong stance on diversity and social justice can significantly influence consumer behavior. For instance, those who support DEI initiatives are far more likely to shop with a company that takes a stance on diversity and social justice issues (72%). Whereas those who oppose DEI initiatives are far less likely to shop with a company that takes a stance.
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While the government and major brands scale back their DEI efforts, these issues remain broadly important to Americans. As companies navigate their approach to DEI, data show that their decisions will likely influence future consumer loyalty and purchasing behaviors.
