10 Most 'Woke' Corporations in America
“Woke” corporations — those overtly endorsing progressive causes — are increasing in number following the white supremacist conflagration in Charlottesville that grabbed national headlines.
There has been interesting debate developing about the meaning of corporate virtue-signaling and its effects on identity formation in the absence of strong community bonding. The New York Times, for example, noted corporations that took the purportedly brave stance of condemning neo-Nazis, a stance that over 99 percent of the American public undoubtedly approves.
The danger arises when corporations, either through value-blindness or deliberate blurring of the issues, conflate or obscure those who subscribe to a certain set of values and who do not, in furtherance of an ulterior motive — including the profit motive.
These corporations might engage in exclusionary virtue-signaling against target out-groups in order to solidify loyalty within the target base in-group. Such marketing tactics might not only have economic, but political ramifications.
The following is a list of notable corporations that have engaged recently in such “woke” virtue-signaling.
1. PayPal
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
After complaints made by left-leaning publication ProPublica, PayPal banned several anti-jihadist publications critical of Islam from using its financial payments platform.
Jihad Watch, Robert Spencer, and Pamela Geller were all impacted by the popular financial services company's decision.
2. Adidas
Screenshot/YouTube
After the Redskins prevailed against a public relations crusade that was mounted against its team logo and name, sports apparel giant Adidas made it known where it stood on the politically correct matter.
In an ad entitled “Create Positivity,” Adidas attempts to rally young people to its side by slipping in scenes of athletes taking a stand against team names like the “Indians.”
3. Starbucks
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Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has a track record of making political statements about the kind of clientele it seeks to cultivate. After Charlottesville, Schultz said, “I know we're better than this. The bigotry, hatred, and senseless violence against people who are not white cannot stand.”
It goes without saying that even superficially innocuous statements like Schultz's can be loaded: While attempting to foster sympathy for minorities, he implicitly winds up making an exclusionary statement about the social acceptability of violence against whites.
4. ESPN
Mike Windle/Getty Images for ESPN
ESPN has become famous for tilting from a 24/7 cable sports network to a platform for politically correct sermonizing, even to viewer demographics for particular sports that trend conservative.
A veteran anchor, Linda Cohn, recently pointed out the network's political bent. And in a stark admission, ESPN noted that a portion of its lost NFL viewership last season came because of the station's overall support for the national anthem protests.
5. PepsiCo
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After Charlottesville, PepsiCo boardmember Darren Walker, who is also president of the Ford Foundation, made the notable statement: “In this maelstrom, the most clarifying voice has been the voice of business. These C.E.O.s have taken the risk to speak truth to power.”
As an aside, it is debatable how much power neo-Nazis and white supremacists, who are heavily ostracized in the public sphere, actually have in the United States. Nonetheless, PepsiCo was even burnt by progressive activists when it attempted to strike a conciliatory tone between Black Lives Matter protesters and the police in an ad featuring Kendall Jenner.
6. Walmart
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After the white supremacist uprising in Virginia, Walmart CEO Douglas McMillon castigated the president's handling of the aftermath in a letter to employees obtained by the New York Times.
“I think there is blame on both sides,” Trump said, reiterating his initial remarks made after the violent incidents in Charlottesville.
“As we watched the events and the response from President Trump over the weekend, we too felt that he missed a critical opportunity to help bring our country together by unequivocally rejecting the appalling actions of white supremacists.”
President Trump did denounce the white supremacists two days after the conflagration, in terms that isolated the bigoted groups. The controversy appears to be over Trump implicitly denouncing antifa or “alt-left” groups in his initial statements, although such groups have a verifiable track record of violence and destruction of public property.
7. Target
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Target gained notoriety as a “woke” corporation before it was cool to be “woke.” After public restroom laws roiled progressives in North Carolina, the superstore made a stance by declaring its male and female restrooms were open to either gender, including those who may be transgender. After a public uproar from conservatives, it later planned to put single stall bathroom in many stores, but dropped the sweeping proposal.
The store has also embraced causes like gender-neutral toy department areas, reportedly donates to Planned Parenthood, and is famously hostile to open carry laws.
8. Nordstrom
Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Nordstrom Inc.
Although Nordstrom denied that its announcement to drop Ivanka Trump's clothing and perfume from its stores had anything to do with politics, the decision came too closely on the heels of a public relations pressure-campaign by “Grab Your Wallet” to be very plausible. The progressive boycott group lists stores that have anything to do with the Trump family.
9. Google
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Google, the tech giant with the famous motto “don't be evil,” recently fired an employee for a manifesto that question the corporation's treatment of conservatives. The employee, James Damore, questioned the company, stating “when it comes to diversity and inclusion, Google’s left bias has created a politically correct monoculture that maintains its hold by shaming dissenters into silence.”
A March on Google was slated in protest of the employee's firing, but the organizers shut it down after purported threats from “alt-left terrorist threats.”
10. General Motors
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
Detroit-based manufacturer car manufacturer General Motors, famously called Government Motors for once having received a hefty bailout from the Obama administration, weighed in after Charlottesville.
Mary T. Barra, CEO of GM, called on people to “come together as a country and reinforce values and ideals that unite us — tolerance, inclusion and diversity.” The member of the White House advisory business council did not need to worry about uncomfortable meetings with president after that; Trump subsequently dissolved the council altogether.
As put by Jalopnik, “This could be seen as a brave stand by corporate leaders against the violent racist behavior that Trump emboldened; it could also be seen as a cynical attempt to avoid boycotts and shareholder backlash over their being seen as doing business alongside Trump.”
One might suspect the same kind of cynicism is driving many “woke” companies to conspicuously court progressives, who are notoriously anti-corporate in their views. After all, corporations may simply be adopting the business strategy: Keep your friends close, but your true enemies closer.
Please note: This is a commentary piece. The views and opinions expressed within it are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the editorial opinion of IJR
http://ijr.com/the-declaration/2017/08/953831-10-woke-corporations-america/?
My comments: Today, to be so called, "Progressive," is to be God Hating. These 10 Corporations are part of the godless, Socialist, Secular Humanist CABAL.
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