Harley-Davidson has faced calls for boycotts from a well-known conservative activist, with repercussions on social media among customers and other users, and has dropped some of its diversity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
The criticism was a result of the implementation of initiatives aimed at equality and diversity, including the inclusion of historically marginalized groups and a communication and marketing strategy reflecting greater diversity. However, Harley-Davidson followers considered this approach a departure from the history of the popular Milwaukee brand.
In recent months, the company has undertaken an internal review to better align its activities with the needs of the industry and community, emphasizing its commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion: ‘We see it as every leader’s role to ensure we have an employee base that reflects our customers and geographies in which we operate. […]. That said, we have not operated a DEI function since April 2024, and we do not have a DEI function today. We do not have hiring quotas and we no longer have supplier diversity spend goals’.
On the other hand, Harley-Davidson will provide executive management to each group ‘to exclusively focus on professional development, networking, and mentoring’. It is also continuously assessing ‘its training opportunities to ensure they are right for the workforce’, providing training ‘related to the needs of the business’, without content related to social motivations.
Regarding sponsorships and affiliations, Harley-Davidson is reviewing all the organizations it is involved with, moving to have central approval and management of all sponsorship activities through the company or the Harley-Davidson Foundation. The manufacturer ensures that it ‘will focus exclusively on growing the sport of motorcycling and retaining’ its community, in addition to continuing to support first responders, active military, and veterans. The Harley-Davidson Foundation reiterates its commitment to driving positive change in Milwaukee, where the company is headquartered. Finally, it guarantees its commitment to ‘listening to all members’ of the Harley-Davidson community.
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