Black-owned businesses in the DMV area are pushing back against mega-retailers that have scaled back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
Locals are turning to DEI Watch, a newly launched website by Alexandria, Virginia-based entrepreneur DeShuna Spencer. The website tracks corporate accountability on DEI initiatives and helps consumers make informed decisions about which brands to support or boycott. Spencer, the founder of the Black storytelling streaming platform KweliTV, launched DEI Watch to promote transparency around businesses’ stances on inclusion efforts and empower consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.
Spencer isn’t calling for boycotts of certain businesses, “but if you want to, we wanted to create a platform that’s as accurate as possible,” she told Axios.
The site provides links to company pages or news sources, categorizing retailers into three groups: “dismantled” for companies that have scaled back DEI efforts, “committed” for those maintaining active DEI initiatives, and “funded” for businesses that have made significant donations supporting Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
While some companies scaling back DEI efforts made national headlines, Spencer expressed surprise upon discovering that others quietly discontinued their initiatives, such as the German discount supermarket chain Aldi, often found in lower-income neighborhoods.
Other initiatives by Black business owners in the DMV area include tech entrepreneur Ayanna Smith’s Celebrate! DC platform, which highlights local neighborhoods and small businesses. In honor of Black History Month, Smith is calling on the community to support Black-owned businesses by sharing them on social media and using platforms like Official Black Wall Street, Naspora – WeBuyBlack, and Black-Owned Business Directories to discover and support these brands.
“In D.C., we take for granted that we can find a Black lawyer, doctor or business,” Smith said.
“It can be challenging in other areas. … That’s why we’re pushing this intentionality initiative to make habits of buying Black and supporting our own communities.”
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