The Impact of DEI Rollbacks on Black-Owned Businesses By Tetrina “Trina Bee” Blalock MS Black Pages

For decades, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have played a critical role in addressing systemic barriers that have kept Black businesses, professionals, and communities at a disadvantage. Let me be clear in saying these programs were never about giving handouts to us. They were designed to correct historical inequalities, increase opportunities, and create a more level playing field in industries where we’ve been historically underrepresented.

However, recent rollbacks on DEI policies by corporations and government agencies threaten to undo much of the progress we’ve fought for. As Black business owners, professionals, and consumers, we have to ask ourselves: How do we move forward?

A Brief History of DEI and Its Impact

Believe it it not the roots of DEI stretch back to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. It was suppose to be a response to blatant discrimination. Landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Executive Order 11246 (which required affirmative action in federal contracting) sought to open doors for marginalized communities as our own.

In the 1980s and 1990s, as businesses grew more global and diverse, DEI programs became a corporate strategy to allegedly promote workplace diversity, supplier diversity, and equitable opportunities. These initiatives aimed to:

• Increase hiring and promotion of minorities and women (Notice I stated women and minorities separately, but that is a conversation for another day)

• Support minority-owned businesses through supplier diversity programs

• Ensure fair access to education, training, and capital*

By the 2000s, DEI became a “standard” practice in many industries. Corporate America saw the value in a diverse workforce, and federal agencies expanded their efforts to contract with Black and minority-owned businesses.

Then came the backlash.

Political shifts in the 2020s, many DEI initiatives came under attack, labeled as unnecessary or even discriminatory. How is this possible? As a result, corporations and governments began quietly rolling back programs that were designed to create equitable opportunities. So this actually isn’t anything new

What’s Changing?

Many companies that once championed DEI efforts are now cutting funding (Target, Walmart, Amazon, etc.), eliminating programs, and shifting their priorities. But let’s be honest, were we ever really a priority?

• Retail giants like Target have ended programs that prioritized Black-owned brands, making it harder for our businesses to get shelf space. Black businesses such as Tabatha Brown and the Lip Stick bar.

• The federal government has reduced DEI-based contracting programs, limiting opportunities for Black-owned businesses to compete fairly for government contracts.

• DEI hiring initiatives are being slashed, reducing workplace diversity and reversing years of progress in corporate leadership.

How Does This Impact Black Businesses?

1. Loss of Retail Opportunities

Black-owned brands that benefited from supplier diversity programs are now struggling to maintain their presence in major retail spaces. Less shelf space means fewer sales and limited visibility.

2. Challenges in Federal Contracting

Without DEI-focused policies, Black-owned businesses face greater difficulty securing government contracts, which have historically favored larger, white-owned firms.

3. Community Responses

Some organizations and churches, like Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston, have launched boycotts against companies that have cut their DEI initiatives. These actions encourage communities to redirect their support toward Black-owned businesses.

4. The Need for Long-Term Solutions

While DEI efforts helped bridge some gaps, true equity requires systemic change. Black Economic Flex!  This means improving access to capital, ensuring fair hiring and contracting practices, and pushing for policies that genuinely support minority businesses.

As a Black Business Owner, This Frustrates Me.

Seeing these rollbacks unfold is more than deeply frustrating, I’ll be honest it pisses me off. As a Black entrepreneur, I know firsthand how hard it is to secure funding, get into mainstream markets, and build a sustainable business. But what some white Americans fail to realize is DEI programs weren’t about giving us an unfair advantage. If you’re a black person living in America, 9 times out of 10 you were born into it.  For us it was about creating fair opportunities in a system that has historically shut us out.

Now, with many of those doors closing again, I can’t help but ask: Where do we go from here?

How Do We Move Forward?

Why have we become a culture that is now waiting for a seat at a table inside a room that we never received an invite to. Let’s be honest, we should never wait for a seat at the table. We should build our own. Now more than ever, we have to be intentional about protecting our businesses and securing our economic future.

What can we do as people of melanin to support and protect each other.

First, Support Black-Owned Businesses !!! I will go to my grave screaming Spend your dollars with Black entrepreneurs, both locally and online. Consistent community support is critical for survival and growth.

Next, Create Our Own Networks Lets strengthen Black business directories such as MS Black Pages and others, incubators, and funding circles to help each other succeed.

Also, Hold Corporations Accountable. When companies roll back their DEI efforts, demand answers. Call them out, question their commitment, and push for transparency. Stop spending your black owned dollars where you are not valued or appreciated.

Furthermore, Advocate for Policy Change. Engage with local and national policymakers to push for fair business practices and economic opportunities for minority-owned businesses. Demand more from them than a 10 second sound bite curing campaign season.

Finally, we must Educate and Invest in Ourselves Financial literacy, cooperative economics, and business mentorship are key. We must continue to invest in our knowledge and our communities. It may sound cliché but KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!!

Our Legacy is in Our Hands

The rollback of DEI policies is a direct challenge to the progress Black-owned businesses have made. This is not just about the present but the past also. This is for the Madam C. J. Walker’s of rhetoric past, present and future. Remember as we’ve always done, we must continue to build, support, and uplift our own.

So what do you think? How do we ensure the sustainability of our Black businesses in a time when support is being pulled aside?