Harley-Davidson drops DEI initiatives amid pressure from ‘anti-woke’ activists

Motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson has become the latest manufacturer to drop diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives amid sustained pressure from anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck.

In a statement Monday, the Milwaukee-based company said it has not operated a corporate DEI function since April, no longer has minority-owned supplier goals and plans to exit socially motivated training for employees.

Harley-Davidson's statement, posted on X, said that it sees "every leader's role to ensure we have an employee base that reflects our customers and the geographies in which we operate" - and the company would limit training to legal requirements.

"We are saddened by the negativity on social media over the last few weeks, designed to divide the Harley-Davidson community," the statement said. "As a company, we take this issue very seriously, and it is our responsibility to respond with clarity, action and facts."

The company said in the statement that it will also reorganize employee resource groups to focus on business development, mentoring and training. Having a "broad customer base is good for business", it added.

Harley-Davidson has been in the cross-hairs of anti-DEI activists who earlier this summer won similar concessions from retailer Tractor Supply and farming equipment maker John Deere & Co. The tractor maker said in a statement in July it would no longer participate in "cultural awareness parades".

The motorcycle maker said in an email to staff that it began a review of its "stakeholder and outreach activities" earlier this year. Harley-Davidson had been under attack from anti-DEI activist Starbuck, who accused it of adopting "the woke agenda of the very far left".

More broadly, the issue of DEI has become a political lightning rod that reflects US political divisions, with American businesses anticipating an even broader roll-back of such initiatives if Donald Trump wins a second presidency in November.

"It's time to get rid of these policies and bring back a sense of neutrality and sanity in corporate America," Starbuck said in an interview with Bloomberg, pointing to activism on social media by Harley-Davidson influencers for the company's move. He reportedly added: "We kind of reached critical mass."

Harley-Davidson's shares are up 5% since Starbuck started his campaign in July, according to the outlet.

Earlier this year, a Washington Post-Ipsos poll found 61% of adults think DEI programs in the workplace are "a good thing". But another survey from Bentley University and Gallop found that fewer than four in 10 US adults (38%) believe businesses should take public stances, a decline of 10% since 2022.

Harley-Davidson became a focus of Trump's attention in 2018 after it responded to his administration's tariffs by moving some production overseas. The former president subsequently encouraged people to boycott the company.

The company has also grappled with falling demand from younger buyers for its old-school touring bikes - or "hogs" - according to one analyst who has said "an experience for them is not about hitting the open road".

Harley-Davidson's decision to drop DEI training received pushback on Tuesday from Eric Bloem, the Human Rights Campaign president, who criticized the company's decision as "impulsive".

"With nearly 30% of gen Z identifying as LGBTQ+ and the community wielding $1.4tn in spending power, retreating from these principles undermines both consumer trust and employee success," Bloem said in a statement.

There had been a national shift in favor of DEI initiatives after the 2020 murder of George Floyd, who was Black, by a white police officer in Minneapolis.