Boom to Backlash E-Book

DK Bartley

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 397

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

How the murder of George Floyd transformed the attitude towards and implementation of DEI across the world

Boom to Backlash: George Floyd's Legacy on DEI as a Business Imperative examines the seismic shift in DEI initiatives following George Floyd's completely preventable death, exploring the initial surge of corporate commitments to DEI, the tangible progress and advancements made, and the subsequent backlash. Through data and case studies, as well as the unparalleled personal experiences of Black executive, global DEI expert, and author DK Bartley, this book illustrates how DEI has evolved from a fringe concept to a crucial element of business strategy, corporate success, and social progress. Some of the topics explored in this book include:

• The mischaracterization of DEI as “new” or “woke” by various platforms
• The real impact of DEI on a business's bottom line
• The future of DEI with respect to the current political climate and technology's role in implementation strategies
• Why George Floyd's murder was a catalyst for change

By addressing these critical aspects of DEI within the context of recent historical events, Boom to Backlash engages with a growing audience of business and political leaders, social media influencers, HR professionals, and individuals who want to understand and implement effective DEI strategies in a post-2020 world.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Introduction: Beyond Black and Whiteintroduction

Notes

1 Breaking the Silence

Ripples in the Corporate World

Why Now?

The Current Challenge

Notes

2 The Long Road to Change

The Foundation Years: Civil Rights to Corporate Change

The Standardization Era: Making Diversity Systematic

The Measurement Period: From Tracking to Understanding

Notes

3 The Corporate Awakening

Target: When Local Tragedy Drives Global Change

Microsoft: Recognizing Biases in Facial Recognition

WarnerMedia: A Cultural Transformation

JPMorgan Chase: From Redlining to Reinvention

Google: When Employee Activism Drives Corporate Change

From American Crisis to Global Transformation

Notes

4 Exponential Expansions

The Global Corporate Response

Cultural Institutions Transform

Regional Perspectives and Responses

Lessons in Transformation

The Path Ahead

Notes

5 The Backlash Begins

The Weaponization of Words

The Rise of Cancel Culture

Corporate Retreat and Missteps: When Cancel Culture Turned on DEI

The Path Forward

Notes

6 Behind the Curtain—Corporate Evolution within the Backlash

Not Complete Retreat

Integration vs. Isolation

How the Target Story Played Out

Where Microsoft Ended Up

WarnerMedia's Act 3

What Happened to JPMorgan?

Beyond the Backlash: Building Sustainable Change

Notes

7 The Power of Courageous Conversations

Creating a Brave Space

Leading the Conversation

From Dialogue to Action

The Continuing Journey

8 From Commitment to Action—A Practical Guide

The DEI Maturity Model

The Four C's Framework: Building Your Implementation Strategy

Moving from Framework to Action: Implementation Deep Dives

Integration vs. Isolation: Making Inclusion Inseparable from Operations

Building Tomorrow's Organizations Today

9 The Inevitable Future of Inclusion

Demographic Destiny

The AI Revolution in DEI

The Political and Economic Transformation

The Integration Imperative

Looking Ahead: Key Trends and Predictions

Notes

10 The Choice Ahead

We're Not Going Back

Notes

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Index

End User License Agreement

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Introduction: Beyond Black and White

Begin Reading

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Index

End User License Agreement

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DK BARTLEY

GLOBAL DEI EXPERT

BOOM TO BACKLASH

GEORGE FLOYD'S LEGACY ON DEI AS A BUSINESS IMPERATIVE

Copyright © 2025 by John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved, including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial intelligence technologies or similar technologies.

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To my mom and dad, who taught me the value of perseverance and authenticity, and why it's important to build a more inclusive world where everyone can contribute their full potential.

Introduction: Beyond Black and White

If you believe Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is just about “checking boxes” or hiring less qualified people to meet racial quotas, you've been lied to.1 In fact, quite the opposite is true. Practicing DEI is about recognizing that businesses all over the world are currently hiring less qualified people because unconscious biases are built into the way we operate at every level. By identifying and correcting these biases, we can cast a wider net and find the most exceptional talent for every role. It has nothing to do with handing out jobs to people who don't deserve them. It is about finding potential superstars who are overlooked by the recruiting, hiring, management, and promotion practices that are currently in place.

When organizations truly embrace inclusion, they create a culture where every individual, regardless of background, has the chance to contribute, be heard, and succeed. This shift toward true equity fosters an environment where innovation thrives, creativity flourishes, and businesses are positioned to outperform their competitors. As research from Deloitte reveals, companies with inclusive cultures are six times more likely to innovate and twice as likely to exceed their financial goals.2 The research shows that inclusive cultures are more innovative and drive better business outcomes. But understanding the real‐world application of these principles requires more than just data—it requires lived experience.

In 2013, Microsoft faced a critical crossroads in the tablet market. Apple's iPad dominated with a commanding 43.6 percent market share, setting records with 52.5 million devices sold. Microsoft's new product, the Surface RT, struggled to gain traction, failing to even break into the top five manufacturers.3 The Surface was a key part of the company's strategy, but it failed to resonate with consumers, leading to a staggering $900 million write‐down on unsold inventory.4

At the time, I was working at Dentsu, one of the largest networks of marketing and advertising agencies in the world, and my team was chosen to step in and help Microsoft navigate this turbulent moment. The solution we proposed wasn't groundbreaking in its complexity—it was about shifting perspectives. Rather than relying on traditional hiring pipelines, we sought out professionals who could connect with communities Microsoft had overlooked. We found people who understood the nuances of local cultures and needs. Over the next several months, we helped build diverse teams across Houston, Atlanta, Seattle, Detroit, and New York—people who weren't just familiar with these communities but could engage with them authentically. This shift in approach didn't just create more meaningful connections; it generated $66 million in new revenue for Microsoft in a single year. This wasn't an accident; it was the result of recognizing that diverse talent brings more than just different perspectives—it brings the ability to solve problems in new and innovative ways.

This focus on diversity as a driver of business performance isn't just anecdotal. A groundbreaking study published in Nature found that papers authored by diverse teams received 10.63 percent more citations than those from homogeneous groups, demonstrating their higher impact and influence in the scientific community.5

The stakes for getting this right have never been higher. In the aftermath of George Floyd's murder in 2020, corporate America made unprecedented commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Major corporations pledged billions toward racial equity initiatives, with the financial sector alone committing over $50 billion.6

But, by 2023, a concerning trend had emerged. Major companies rolled back their DEI initiatives, with some completely dismantling all their diversity‐focused programs.7 Job postings with “DEI” in the title dropped by 23 percent,8 and many organizations began quietly distancing themselves from their earlier commitments.

Yet the most successful companies aren't abandoning DEI, they're evolving their approach. They're focusing on integrating diversity and inclusion into their core business strategies. They are moving beyond demographic targets to create truly inclusive cultures that drive innovation and growth.9

In today's global economy, the ability to identify, develop, and retain the best possible talent isn't just a business advantage—it's a necessity. The World Economic Forum's latest Global Talent Competitiveness Index reveals that countries excelling at attracting and developing diverse talent experience up to 50 percent higher innovation output and stronger economic growth.10 This is not about lowering standards or meeting quotas. It's about building systems that discover and nurture exceptional talent from all walks of life.

As organizations begin to see the importance of these principles, the shift is already happening. Forward‐thinking companies are moving beyond simple demographic goals to create inclusive cultures that directly link DEI strategies to business outcomes.11 These data‐driven approaches show measurable results from implementing DEI best practices, such as up to 30 percent higher market share in key demographics and 45 percent improved employee retention rates.

This book is the culmination of everything I've learned from these experiences and from the world of business. Whether you're a CEO looking to transform your company, a manager building a diverse team, or a professional navigating your own career, this book will give you the tools to turn inclusion into a competitive advantage. I've witnessed DEI evolve from being a buzzword to one of the most powerful drivers of innovation and growth. The companies that thrive in the future will be those that understand the link between excellence and inclusion—not those that treat diversity as a checkbox exercise or believe that excellence and diversity are mutually exclusive.

As Business Insider's comprehensive analysis shows, companies that maintained or strengthened their DEI initiatives during the 2023–2024 downturn are now seeing tangible benefits: higher employee engagement, increased innovation, and stronger financial performance.12 In the past five years, DEI has become one of the most contentious political battlegrounds, but also one of the biggest hidden drivers of success among the world's leading companies. The field is shifting, and those who stay on the cutting edge will reap the rewards, while those who fall behind will struggle to compete in an evolving marketplace.

Which will you be?

Notes

1.

McKinsey & Company, “Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters,” McKinsey & Company, 2020,

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters

.

2.

Bourke, Juliet, “The Diversity and Inclusion Revolution: Eight Powerful Truths,” Deloitte Insights, January 22, 2018,

https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/deloitte-review/issue-22/diversity-and-inclusion-at-work-eight-powerful-truths.html

.

3.

Albanesius, Chloe, “iPad Loses Market Share, But Still Crushes Tablet Rivals,” PCMag, January 31, 2013,

https://www.pcmag.com/news/ipad-loses-market-share-but-still-crushes-tablet-rivals

.

4.

Keizer, Gregg, “Microsoft Writes off Nearly $1B to Account for Surface RT Bomb,” ComputerWorld, July 19, 2013,

https://www.computerworld.com/article/1409993/microsoft-writes-off-nearly-1b-to-account-for-surface-rt-bomb.html

.

5.

Zheng, Hongwei, Weihua Li, and Dashun Wang, “Expertise Diversity of Teams Predicts Originality and Long‐Term Impact in Science and Technology,” arXiv preprint, October 10, 2022,

https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.04422

.

6.

Schwarz, Robert, “Corporate Racial Equality Investments—One Year Later,” Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, August 30, 2021,

https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2021/08/30/corporate-racial-equality-investments-one-year-later/

.

7.

Klawans, Justin, “Companies That Have Rolled Back DEI Initiatives,” The Week, December 3, 2024,

https://theweek.com/business/companies-dei-rollback

.

8.

Dumas, Breck, “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programs Took a Hit in 2023,” Fox Business, December 29, 2023,

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/diversity-equity-inclusion-programs-took-hit-2023

.

9.

Hood, Julia, and Rebecca Knight, “6 Ways DEI Programs Are Evolving as Companies Reorganize, Home in on Employee Skills, and Leverage the Power of AI,” Business Insider, November 26, 2024,

https://www.businessinsider.com/dei-evolves-as-the-culture-changes-and-ai-takes-hold-2024-11

.

10.

Masterson, Victoria, “These Countries Are the Best at Attracting, Developing and Retaining Talent,” World Economic Forum, November 16, 2023,

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/11/most-talent-competitive-countries-2023

.

11.

Knight, Rebecca, “As Some Companies Scale Back on DEI, Others Double Down on Their Efforts,” Business Insider, October 23, 2024,

https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-data-driven-strategies-tools-refine-dei-belonging-efforts-decisions-2024-10

.

12.

Hood, Julia, and Rebecca Knight, “6 Ways DEI Programs Are Evolving as Companies Reorganize, Home in on Employee Skills, and Leverage the Power of AI,” Business Insider, November 26, 2024,

https://www.businessinsider.com/dei-evolves-as-the-culture-changes-and-ai-takes-hold-2024-11

.

1Breaking the Silence

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd woke up to a typical Minneapolis spring morning.1 A thin layer of clouds hung in the sky and the air was hot and heavy with moisture.2 Floyd pulled himself out of bed. At 46 years old, he was working to rebuild his life after moving from his hometown of Houston, Texas, to Minnesota for a fresh start.3 Known as “Big Floyd” to his friends and family, he cut an imposing figure at 6′4″ but was thought of by those who knew him as a “gentle giant.” In fact, his high school football coach later recalled, “If you said something to him, his head would drop … he just wasn't going to ball up and act like he wanted to fight you.”4

That morning, Floyd likely thought about his daughters back in Houston.5 He may have said a prayer. Floyd was known in his community as a man of faith who had worked extensively with a Christian ministry called Resurrection Houston to mentor young men. “The things that he would say to young men always referenced that God trumps street culture,” recalled Ronnie Lillard, who performed with Floyd under the name Reconcile. “I think he wanted to see young men put guns down and have Jesus instead of the streets.”6 Perhaps he spent some time worrying that morning about making ends meet. The COVID‐19 pandemic had thrown millions out of work, including Floyd, after the restaurant where he worked as a bouncer was forced to close.7

George Perry Floyd Jr. was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and raised in Houston's Third Ward, where his mother moved the family seeking better opportunities.8 Growing up in the Cuney Homes housing project, known locally as “The Bricks,” Floyd found refuge in sports and music. His childhood friend Herbert Mouton remembered him as someone who could always lighten the mood after a tough loss: “He never wanted us to feel bad for too long,” Mouton recalled. The housing project's challenges were real. Residents created a self‐deprecating song: “I don't want to grow up, I'm a Cuney Homes kid. They got so many rats and roaches I can play with.”9

He was the first of his siblings to go to college, attending South Florida State College on a basketball scholarship before transferring to Texas A&M University–Kingsville.10 His college basketball coach, George Walker, remembered specifically seeking Floyd out: “I was looking for a power forward, and he fit the bill. He was athletic, and I liked the way he handled the ball.”11 Though he didn't graduate, his family remembered how proud he was to be the first to make it to college. As a young boy in second grade, he had written an essay expressing his dream of becoming a Supreme Court Justice. “When I grow up, I want to be a Supreme Court judge,” young Floyd wrote. “When people say, ‘Your Honor, he did rob the bank,’ I will say, ‘Be seated.’ And if he doesn't, I will tell the guard to take him out.”12

Life hadn't been easy for Floyd. He struggled with addiction at times and had run‐ins with the law, including a 2007 armed robbery conviction that resulted in a five‐year prison sentence.13 But after his release, he was committed to turning his life around. He participated in Christian outreach programs in Houston's Third Ward, using his experience to mentor younger men and steer them away from violence. In one video message, he pleaded: “Our young generation is clearly lost, man … Come on home, man. One day, it's gonna be you and God. You're goin' up or you're goin' down, you know what I'm sayin'? That's gonna be it.”14

In Minneapolis, Floyd worked as a security guard at the Salvation Army's Harbor Light Center homeless shelter and later at Conga Latin Bistro, where he was known as a friendly face who would walk coworkers to their cars after late shifts.15 His employer at Conga Latin Bistro, Jovanni Thunstrom, remembered Floyd's warm personality: “Always cheerful … He would dance badly to make people laugh. I tried to teach him how to dance because he loved Latin music, but I couldn't because he was too tall for me. He always called me ‘Bossman.’ I said, ‘Floyd, don't call me Bossman. I'm your friend.’”16 When COVID‐19 hit and restaurants closed, Floyd, like millions of Americans, found himself out of work.17

On that fateful Memorial Day evening, Floyd walked into Cup Foods, a corner store he'd visited many times before. Like everyone else during those strange pandemic days, he wore a face mask.18 The store's owner, Mike Abumayyaleh, would later tell NBC News that Floyd was a regular customer with whom they had “never had an issue.” The teenage clerk who served Floyd that day was new to the job. When Floyd used what appeared to be a counterfeit $20 bill, the clerk initially intercepted it and returned it to Floyd, who then left the store. When Floyd returned about 10 minutes later and used another $20 bill, the clerk suspected both bills were counterfeit. Following store protocol, he informed his supervisor and called the police.19

At 8:08 PM, Officers Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng arrived at Cup Foods.20 Lane, who had been on the force for only four days, drew his gun and ordered Floyd to show his hands.21 Floyd was cooperative but visibly distressed. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” Floyd said. “I didn't do nothing … What did I do though? What did we do, Mr. Officer?” He begged the officers not to shoot him, telling them he had been shot before. When officers tried to put him in the squad car, he told them he was claustrophobic and had recently recovered from COVID‐19.22

Officers Derek Chauvin and Tou Thao arrived later. What happened next would be captured on multiple cameras and viewed by millions around the world. Darnella Frazier, a 17‐year‐old bystander who had been walking with her 9‐year‐old cousin to the store, recorded the incident on her phone. “Although this wasn't the first time I've seen a Black man get killed at the hands of police,” she would later write, “this is the first time I witnessed it happen in front of me. Right in front of my eyes, a few feet away.”23 For 9 minutes and 29 seconds, Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck.24 Even after Floyd became unresponsive, even after bystanders begged the officers to check his pulse, Chauvin didn't move. A Cup Foods employee called the owner crying, telling him, “‘Mike, Mike. What should I do? The guy can't breathe. They're killing him.’ ‘Call the police on the police,’” Abumayyaleh recalled telling the employee. “And make sure it's recorded.”25 When the ambulance finally arrived, Floyd had no pulse. He was pronounced dead at 9:25 PM at the Hennepin County Medical Center.26

George Floyd couldn't have known that his death would become a turning point in American history.27 He couldn't have known that his last words, “I can't breathe,” would echo in protests from Seoul to Sydney, and London to Lagos.28 He couldn't have known that his name would become a rallying cry for racial justice that would transform institutions around the globe.

Ripples in the Corporate World

The first call came minutes after George Floyd was pronounced dead. I let it go to voicemail, hoping to take a moment to process what I'd just witnessed on my screen. Then another call came. And another. The sound pierced through the quiet of my kitchen, where I sat with my takeout growing cold. The shrill beeping shook me out of my numbness.

I knew what these calls meant. As a DEI expert practitioner, I'd received similar calls before. Every time we received a tragic reminder of America's unresolved racial trauma my phone would ring. But something felt different this time. The calls weren't just from my usual network of DEI colleagues. They came from CEOs, board members, and HR directors I hadn't heard from in years.

One company offered me a million‐dollar base salary (plus very competitive long‐term incentives) on the spot to become their Chief Diversity Officer. I turned it down. It was obvious they didn't want real change; they wanted a poster child, someone they could point to and say, “look, we're doing something. See? We hired a top expert. We care!” But as my phone continued to light up with calls from corporate leaders across the country, I realized we were witnessing something unprecedented.

The response began locally. On May 26, hundreds gathered in Minneapolis at the site of Floyd's death. By May 27, protesters took to the city streets in growing numbers. Within a week, demonstrations had spread to almost every major US city, and most minor ones too, marking one of the largest protest movements in American history.29 The unprecedented scale of documentation made this movement different from any before. Live streams of more than 400 protests were viewed over 1.4 billion times, creating what analysts called a “perfect storm” of visibility: there was simply no way to look away or deny what was happening.30

As people across the country protested police violence, law enforcement officers often responded, ironically, with escalating force. Medical experts documented the devastating impact of the “less lethal” weapons used to break up crowds during these rallies. Rubber bullets penetrated skin, broke bones, ruptured eyeballs, and even caused traumatic brain injuries. Despite manufacturer guidelines specifying that these weapons should only be aimed at the lower body, videos showed officers frequently targeting protesters' heads and upper bodies.31 These efforts only spurred the protesters on, as citizens grew more justified in their anger. The very tactics meant to silence the demonstrations instead amplified them, broadcasting police aggression to millions of viewers worldwide.

Those still sheltering in place took to the internet to express their outrage and support. According to Pew Research Center, the phrase “Black Lives Matter” appeared on Twitter an average of 2 million times a day in the weeks following Floyd's death, with the hashtag being used nearly 47.8 million times between May 26 and June 7, 2020, marking the highest volume of daily tweets using the hashtag since the platform began tracking it.32

On June 2, 28 million Instagram users participated in Black Out Tuesday, a movement that originated within the music industry but quickly spread across social media platforms. Major music labels including Atlantic Records, Capitol Music Group, Warner Records, and Sony Music joined the protest by pausing all business operations for the day.33 Instead of posting traditional content, millions of users uploaded simple black squares to their Instagram feeds. Though well‐intentioned, Black Out Tuesday revealed the complexity of digital activism—many critics pointed out that the black squares were drowning out information and resources being shared by organizers on the ground.

Within weeks, the calls for justice had crossed oceans. More than 70 countries held solidarity protests and demonstrations.34 In London, thousands of protesters flooded Trafalgar Square, kneeling in solidarity for a minute's silence before chanting “no justice, no peace.” Signs bearing Floyd's last words, “I can't breathe,” were raised alongside the names of Black Britons who had died in police custody. The demonstrations spread across the UK, with protests erupting in Manchester, Cardiff, Leicester, and Sheffield.35

In Paris, a crowd of 20,000 people gathered outside their US Embassy, defying a police ban on large gatherings during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The protests quickly evolved to encompass France's own struggles with police violence, with demonstrators carrying signs that read “Justice for Adama” alongside “Justice for Floyd.”36 In Sydney, Australia, tens of thousands marched through the heart of the city after winning a last‐minute court appeal to authorize the demonstration. What began as a protest against American police brutality transformed into a powerful statement about Indigenous deaths in Australian police custody.37

These weren't just expressions of solidarity with American protesters—people in other countries saw their own struggles reflected in Floyd's death. In France, demonstrators drew explicit parallels to the killing of Adama Traoré, a young Black man who died in French police custody in 2016 after telling officers, “I can't breathe.” Traoré's sister, Assa, became a leading voice in the French protests, telling crowds, “What's happening in the United States is happening in France.”38

Australia's Indigenous community, which has long faced systemic discrimination and police violence, found kinship with the Black Lives Matter movement. In the 12 days following Floyd's death, more than 25,000 Australians donated over $1.5 million to Indigenous rights campaigns, marking an unprecedented surge in support for Aboriginal justice initiatives.39 From Brazil to South Korea, local activists connected Floyd's murder to their own battles against state violence and systemic racism, transforming an American tragedy into a global rallying cry for justice.40

Artists around the world created powerful murals honoring Floyd's memory, from the streets of São Paulo to the walls of Paris to public spaces in Lithuania. These weren't just artistic expressions, they became powerful catalysts for change. Local artists transformed city walls into memorials that sparked conversations about justice and equality in their own communities.41

The corporate world, caught in this storm of global outrage, faced unprecedented pressure to respond. It wasn't enough to issue vague statements about “standing against racism” or making nominal donations to civil rights organizations. Employees were demanding real action. Customers were scrutinizing company practices. Activists were calling out corporate hypocrisy. The very tools companies had used to build their brands—social media, corporate communications, carefully crafted public images—became channels for holding them accountable.

Consider what happened to CrossFit. When founder and CEO Greg Glassman responded to the protests with a flippant tweet comparing Floyd's murder to the pandemic (“Floyd‐19”), the response was swift and devastating. Within days, more than 1,000 affiliated gyms abandoned the CrossFit name, and major sponsor Reebok immediately announced they would end their partnership when their contract expired at the end of the year.42

This wasn't just another news cycle that companies could wait out. The combination of undeniable evidence, a captive audience, and the amplifying power of social media had created something new: a moment of sustained moral clarity that demanded more than performative activism. Companies that had successfully avoided meaningful conversations about race for decades now faced a choice: transform or be transformed.

The initial corporate response revealed just how unprepared most companies were for this moment. For years, Black deaths at the hands of police had gone unremarked in corporate America. Now, companies that had previously remained silent found themselves scrambling to respond.43 Startups suddenly grappled with diversity strategies, while major corporations faced pressure from both employees and customers to take meaningful action.44

Universities and colleges across the nation were forced to confront their own institutional biases. Analysis of 356 statements issued by higher education institutions showed a dramatic shift in how they addressed racism, moving from “color‐blind” messaging to explicitly acknowledging systemic racism.45

The financial response was unprecedented. Major banks, historically hesitant to wade into social issues, pledged billions toward racial equity initiatives. According to the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, corporations announced more than $50 billion in commitments to racial justice causes.46 PepsiCo committed $400 million over five years specifically to increase Black representation in management and support Black‐owned businesses.47

But the most significant changes weren't just about money, they were about how companies fundamentally operated. PNC Bank, for example, developed an $88 billion community benefits plan focused on economic empowerment in low‐ and moderate‐income areas and communities of color.48 Netflix went beyond statements about supporting Black lives; they moved $100 million of their cash holdings to Black‐owned banks, fundamentally changing how they thought about even their routine business operations.49

Companies began sharing unprecedented levels of transparency about their workforce demographics. Google and Microsoft not only published detailed diversity reports but set specific, measurable goals for improvement.50

Banks began leveraging their multicultural employee networks in new ways. M&T Bank, for instance, established 100 new multicultural banking centers, staffed by bilingual employees, and designed specifically to serve diverse communities.51

Most significantly, companies began tying executive compensation to diversity goals. Starbucks announced that executive compensation would be directly linked to meeting diversity targets, aiming for 40 percent BIPOC representation in retail and manufacturing roles by 2025.52 DEI wasn't a separate initiative anymore: it became a board‐level priority, with executives being held personally accountable for progress.53

The transformation that began in American boardrooms soon rippled across the globe. Companies began scaling up their DEI initiatives internationally, adapting their approaches to different cultural contexts while maintaining core commitments to equity and inclusion.54

Major global corporations began transforming their approach to diversity and inclusion. Sony Music Group made history by appointing Tiffany R. Warren as its first‐ever Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Warren, known for founding ADCOLOR, the premier organization celebrating diversity in creative industries, brought decades of experience in building inclusive corporate cultures. Her appointment signaled a fundamental shift in how Japanese corporations approached leadership and representation.55

The transformation manifested differently across cultures and industries, but the conversation reached the highest levels of global business leadership. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, diversity and inclusion became central themes in discussions about the future of work. Leaders examined how these issues intersected with technological change, economic recovery, and the growing skills gap in the global workforce. The Forum highlighted how companies that embraced diversity were better positioned to address future challenges, from climate change to digital transformation.56

Global shipping giant A.P. Møller‐Maersk demonstrated how multinational corporations could implement practical changes. They conducted comprehensive leadership training programs that embedded diversity and inclusion principles for over 1,100 first‐time leaders, creating a ripple effect throughout their global operations. This training went beyond traditional diversity workshops, focusing on practical skills for building and leading inclusive teams in a complex, multicultural environment.57

These changes weren't just about doing the right thing; they reflected a growing understanding that diversity drives innovation and performance in an increasingly interconnected world. Companies began recognizing that their ability to compete and grow depended on building organizations that could harness diverse perspectives and serve diverse markets effectively.

Why Now?

To understand why this moment catalyzed such unprecedented change, we need to first confront an uncomfortable truth: state‐sanctioned violence against minorities had become disturbingly routine in America. Statistics showed a consistent and troubling pattern of fatal police shootings, with the numbers increasing year over year.58

Seven years earlier, in 2013, George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Public outcry in response to this, and other white‐on‐Black shootings, led to the creation of a new hashtag: #BlackLivesMatter.59

Eric Garner's plea of “I can't breathe” became a rallying cry in 2014, when an NYPD officer held him in an illegal chokehold. The New York City medical examiner's office officially ruled his death a homicide, citing “compression of neck (chokehold), compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police” as the cause of death.60

That same year, Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager, was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. His death sparked weeks of protests that revealed the depths of Black grief and anger. Brown's body was left lying in the street for four hours after his death, an image that would become emblematic of the dehumanization of Black lives by law enforcement.61

Then there was 12‐year‐old Tamir Rice, shot by Cleveland police while playing with a toy gun in a park near his home. Officer Timothy Loehmann shot Rice within seconds of arriving at the scene. Security footage showed he fired less than two seconds after exiting his patrol car. The boy died the next day at MetroHealth Medical Center.62

In April 2015, Freddie Gray died from spinal injuries sustained while shackled in the back of a Baltimore police van. Gray had made eye contact with police and ran, leading to his arrest. During his transport, he suffered a severe spinal cord injury that would prove fatal. Despite clear evidence of “rough rides,” a practice where handcuffed suspects are thrown around in the back of police vans by erratic driving, all criminal charges against the officers were eventually dropped, though the city reached a $6.4 million civil settlement with Gray's family.63

Just months before Floyd's death, Breonna Taylor, a 26‐year‐old emergency room technician, had been shot dead in her Louisville apartment during a botched no‐knock raid. Police had burst in at 12:40 AM while Taylor was asleep in bed with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. When Walker fired a warning shot, believing intruders were breaking in, officers responded with 32 bullets. Six struck Taylor, who was pronounced dead at the scene.64

That same spring, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25‐year‐old Black man, was chased down and shot while jogging through a Georgia neighborhood. The men responsible, Gregory McMichael, his son, Travis, and their neighbor, William Bryan, weren't even arrested at first. Local authorities initially accepted their claim of attempting a citizen's arrest, citing Georgia's Civil War–era law. It took 74 days, public outcry, and cell phone footage showing Arbery being hunted down for charges to finally be filed.65

Each death sparked outrage. Each led to protests. Each prompted calls for change. But none transformed corporate America's approach to racial equity.

George Floyd's murder would prove different. According to McKinsey's analysis of Fortune 1000 companies, the corporate response was unprecedented in both scale and scope. Companies didn't just issue statements; they made specific, measurable commitments backed by billions in funding.66

Why was this event such a turning point? The answer lies in the convergence of four distinct but related forces that turned what could have been just another tragedy into a moment of irreversible change.

The first force was the undeniable visual evidence. For 9 minutes and 29 seconds, people around the world watched the slow, agonizing murder of a fellow citizen.67 It wasn't a split‐second decision that could be explained away. It wasn't a chaotic situation open to interpretation. It was methodical, deliberate, and captured from multiple angles by bystanders who recognized the gravity of what they were witnessing.

Thanks to the courage of 17‐year‐old Darnella Frazier, who filmed the entire ordeal while walking her 9‐year‐old cousin to the store, we saw a clear and complete picture of what happened. Her act of bearing witness, which would later earn her a special citation from the Pulitzer Prize board “for courageously recording the murder of George Floyd,” became a pivotal moment in American history. The Pulitzer board specifically praised her for “highlighting the crucial role of citizens in journalists' quest for truth and justice,” recognizing how her split‐second decision to record transformed a local tragedy into a catalyst for global change.68

The video, swiftly posted on Facebook, showed in excruciating detail what so many had tried to ignore for so long. While the initial Minneapolis police statement clinically claimed, “Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction,” deliberately obscuring the officers' actions, the public saw the unvarnished truth. The 200‐word police statement not only failed to mention the knee on Floyd's neck but actively worked to minimize police involvement, stating only that officers “noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress” and “called for an ambulance.” Meanwhile, bystander videos showed Officer Derek Chauvin keeping his knee on Floyd's neck even after he lost consciousness, and even as onlookers begged him to stop.69

Multiple bystanders recorded different angles of the incident. Expert witnesses, including veteran police officers, would later testify that Floyd did not resist arrest and was completely unarmed. Police use‐of‐force expert Sgt. Jody Stiger would testify that the force used was “excessive” from the moment Floyd was put on the ground, noting that the proper response would have been to put Floyd in a “side recovery position” to help him breathe. Instead, Chauvin maintained his position even after Floyd had stopped moving.70 When he cried out for his mother, the sound pierced through the hearts of parents everywhere.

Everyone I spoke to who had children, especially white parents from different parts of the country and even internationally, said the same thing: “That would never happen to my child.” For the first time, they were understanding “this race thing” a bit better. They realized their children might be stopped by police, might even do something wrong, but they wouldn't be killed for it. The situation was impossible to misinterpret. No amount of public relations spin could change what we all witnessed.

The second force that made George Floyd a turning point was a growing anxiety among Americans trapped in one of the most challenging periods of modern history. The spring of 2020 was a crucible. A deadly worldwide pandemic created by the COVID‐19 virus, and the extreme uncertainty around the proliferation of the disease, left the population feeling scared and vulnerable. On top of that, a litany of harsh economic and social effects accrued as well.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate had increased by an unprecedented 10.3 percentage points to 14.7 percent, marking both the highest rate and the largest over‐the‐month increase since the BLS began collecting data in 1948. In a single month, the unemployment rate jumped higher than it had during the entire two years of the Great Recession.71

April alone saw the loss of more than 20.5 million jobs, nearly triple the job losses of the entire 2008 Great Recession. The carnage was widespread but uneven. Leisure and hospitality lost 7.7 million jobs, nearly half its entire workforce. Professional and business services shed 2.1 million positions. Retail trade lost 2.1 million jobs. Even healthcare, typically resistant to economic downturns, lost 1.4 million jobs as non‐emergency procedures were canceled nationwide.72

The impact was devastatingly divided across racial lines: while white unemployment peaked at 12.4 percent, Black Americans faced a record 16.8 percent job loss. Hispanic workers were hit even harder, with their unemployment rate soaring to 18.9 percent. These numbers represented the largest disparity in unemployment rates between Black and white Americans in the past five decades.73

The disparities didn't end with job loss. According to the Centers for Disease Control data, Black and Hispanic Americans were being hospitalized for COVID‐19 at rates 2.8 and 3.0 times higher than their white counterparts, respectively. The death rates revealed an equally stark divide: Black Americans were dying at 1.9 times the rate of white Americans, while Pacific Islanders faced mortality rates 2.4 times higher than white populations. Indigenous Americans were being hospitalized at 3.7 times the rate of white Americans, and Latino communities were experiencing infection rates up to three times higher in many regions.74 These deep‐seated injustices were present long before the pandemic, but in 2020, the disparities became clearer than ever, providing a bleak backdrop for the growing anxiety and stress sweeping the nation.

The third force that made George Floyd different was the forced isolation of those working and schooling from home during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Under these conditions, Americans found themselves consuming media at unprecedented rates. Nielsen's data showed that people spent 70 percent more time on the internet and consumed 95 percent more news than usual. The patterns were striking: streaming content consumption surged by 61 percent, with local news viewing increasing 23 percent. Social media engagement skyrocketed, with platforms reporting record‐breaking usage levels. Facebook reported a 50 percent increase in messaging, while Twitter saw its daily active users jump by 24 percent.75 We had more empty hours than ever before, and we were spending most of them consuming media, witnessing our collective pain mirrored back at us through our screens.

The fourth force was the most surprising: corporate vulnerability. For the first time in modern history, companies found themselves unable to control their own narratives. As the BBC reported, this marked a dramatic shift from previous instances of racial injustice, where corporate America had largely remained silent. Nike took a strong stance with the message, “For once, Don't Do It,” a play on their famous slogan, urging people not to turn their backs on racism. Ben & Jerry's went further, issuing a detailed statement titled “We Must Dismantle White Supremacy” that called for specific police reforms, including the passage of HR 40, legislation that would create a commission to study reparations. Even traditionally conservative brands felt compelled to speak out. NASCAR banned Confederate flags at its events, while Walmart committed $100 million to create a center on racial equity.76

In an age where social platforms amplify voices instantly, the very nature of social media left corporations with little choice but to issue statements—and to do so quickly. No longer could companies stay uninvolved in racial issues. If you were at a company where others like Netflix were speaking out and your company remained silent, employees wanted to know why. Even if your business couldn't take direct action due to its nature, you needed to explain your position to your employees. Silence was no longer an option. But, amid a growing “cancel culture,” that could potentially devastate companies who took a stand their customers did not like, responding in just the right way became its own challenge.

These four forces—undeniable evidence, a growing unease and anxiety, a captive audience, and corporate vulnerability—created perfect conditions for change.

The Current Challenge

The story, however, gets more complicated. As the changes resulting from Floyd's murder began to show results, they also sparked intense public debate. By 2024, the pushback had reached the highest levels of business and politics. Billionaire Elon Musk sparked controversy when he tweeted that “DEI is just another word for racism,” drawing immediate criticism from other business leaders. Mark Cuban publicly challenged Musk's statement, arguing that business leaders should focus on finding the best talent regardless of background. Their exchange highlighted the growing divide in corporate America over DEI initiatives, with Cuban emphasizing that diverse hiring pools increase competition and raise standards.77

The political sphere amplified these tensions. Then‐former President Trump intensified the rhetoric during a major policy speech, claiming that “Every institution in America is under attack from this Marxist concept of equity.” He called for the complete dismantling of equity initiatives in federal agencies, framing DEI programs as a direct threat to American meritocracy. His speech specifically targeted federal contractor requirements and diversity training programs, calling for their immediate elimination.78

The rhetoric quickly transformed into action. On his first day back in office, Trump issued a series of executive orders abolishing DEI positions across the federal government, placing hundreds of employees on immediate leave. Through the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, the administration moved to slash what it claimed was over $120 billion in annual DEI spending. The White House also required tens of thousands of federal contractors to certify they did not operate any “unlawful forms of DEI,” while establishing a tip line for workers to report attempts to disguise such programs through “coded or imprecise language.”79

The impact of this backlash became increasingly visible in corporate America. Major companies began rolling back their DEI initiatives, with each announcement creating a domino effect across industries. Walmart's retreat proved particularly significant given its position as America's largest private employer. The retail giant's carefully worded statement to Newsweek reflected the delicate balance companies tried to strike: “We've been on a journey and know we need to constantly evolve our approach.” This announcement followed similar moves by Toyota, which had begun reviewing all its DEI policies, and several major financial institutions that had previously been industry leaders in diversity initiatives.80