Minnesota doubles down on DEI as major companies like Meta pump the brakes

The city of St. Louis Park, for instance, is looking to pay up to $143,000 a year for a Racial Equity and Inclusion Director.

By
Jenna Gloeb
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DEI
The city of St. Louis Park is looking to pay up to $143,000 a year for a Racial Equity and Inclusion Director.

While much of the country is scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs— including Meta, which informed employees Friday that it is ending its DEI initiatives—Minnesota is taking the opposite approach, ramping up efforts with six-figure DEI positions now appearing on job boards statewide.

The Minnesota Department of Health recently posted a new DEI-focused job opening as part of its commitment to addressing “systemic inequities.”

This DEI manager position offers a salary of up to $145,000 and includes responsibilities such as “Champion DEI work internally, ensuring the agency executes on its goals to address the impact of systemic racism and inequities.”

The Department of Health isn’t alone. Education Minnesota is also hiring for positions that require mandatory ideological training for staff. The listing states that the role will require participating in “internal and external anti-racist, LGBTQ+ trainings.”

The city of St. Louis Park is looking to pay up to $143,000 a year for a Racial Equity and Inclusion Director as the job posting identifies racial equity and inclusion as one of the city’s top “strategic priorities.”

The City of Edina recently touted its $50,000 contract with CultureBrokers, a consulting firm specializing in DEI strategies that will help the city “develop an Equity Strategic Action Plan.”

Meanwhile, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined a letter to Walmart expressing concern that the company’s decision to back away from DEI “risks undermining important social progress and antidiscrimination efforts.”

Meta ends fact-checking, scales back DEI efforts  

Along with halting its DEI department and initiatives, Meta this week also ended its fact-checking program and lifted speech restrictions across Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the changes earlier this week, stating they are intended to “restore free expression” and acknowledging that previous content moderation practices had “gone too far.” He also revealed that Meta’s new system will resemble Elon Musk’s Community Notes feature on X.

In an internal memo sent Friday, Meta cited the changing “legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the United States” as the reason for the decision. The memo, first reported by Axios, referenced recent Supreme Court rulings as a factor in the shift.

Fires, frustration, and corporate pullbacks 

On the national stage, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley and Mayor Karen Bass have faced intense criticism for allegedly prioritizing DEI initiatives over preventive action.

Los Angeles residents—including celebrities—expressed outrage on social media after reports revealed that some fire hydrants failed to produce water during the Pacific Palisades inferno.

Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar used her Instagram to deliver a sharp critique of the mayor.

“City of LA, you expect everyone to evacuate, yet there’s complete gridlock with not a single traffic officer on the streets assisting,” the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star wrote, tagging Mayor Bass and the City of Los Angeles.

Megyn Kelly blasted the city’s leadership for their perceived prioritization of DEI initiatives over firefighting preparedness.

“In recent years, LA’s fire chief has made not filling the fire hydrants top priority, but diversity,” Kelly said during her Wednesday show. “Who gives a s–t if the fire chief is gay? Can you fight the f–king fires, madam? That’s the relevant question.”

Crowley, the first female and LGBTQ fire chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), states in her online bio that one of her top priorities is “creating, supporting, and promoting a culture that values diversity, inclusion, and equity while striving to meet and exceed the expectations of the communities.”

LAFD Deputy Chief Kristine Larson spoke on camera about the importance of emergency responders reflecting the communities they serve, stating how meaningful it is to receive help from people “who look like you.”

When asked about the possibility of carrying someone’s husband out of a fire, the deputy fire chief replied, “He got himself in the wrong place if I have to carry him out of a fire.”

Mayor Bass has also faced criticism for her handling of the wildfire crisis. Video shared widely on social media showed her remaining silent and ignoring questions from the press after returning to Los Angeles from a trip to Ghana.

This comes as Meta joins companies like McDonald’s, Walmart, John Deere, Harley-Davidson, and others in rolling back DEI programs amid public backlash.

McDonald’s recently announced it would retire specific diversity goals for hiring and halt a DEI pledge for suppliers.

The decision comes four years after the fast-food giant launched a push for greater diversity and follows a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawing affirmative action in college admissions.

The burger chain also plans to end external surveys, a move shared by other corporations such as Lowe’s and Ford Motor Co., which stopped participation in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual survey on workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees.

 

Jenna Gloeb
Website

Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.

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