DIVERSITY
Why Jack Daniel’s New Stance on Diversity Leaves Bitter Aftertaste
Despite profiting off a Black man’s recipe, the company opposes diversity
As the resistance to diversity programs grows, so does pressure to put these programs on ice. In a recent example, Jack Daniels, a Tennessee-based whisky company, announced they’d sunset diversity programs within their organization in response to “angry conservative customers.” The Brown-Forman executive leadership team described the shift in a leaked internal email. “We launched our diversity and inclusion strategy in 2019. Since then, the world has evolved, our business has changed, and the legal and external landscape has shifted dramatically, particularly within the United States. With these new dynamics at play, we must adjust our work to ensure it continues to drive business results while appropriately recognizing the current environment in which we find ourselves.” This change also means the company will end its participation in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index Survey and efforts to incentivize diversity targets. Rather than risk being labeled “woke,” executives discontinued these programs. And yet, the irony shouldn’t be lost on us that Jack Daniels wouldn’t exist today if it weren’t for the contributions of a Black man.
