EP 968 Are Corporate Disclosures Meant to Reveal or Hide Their Employment Practices?

 

The 2020 murder of George Floyd sparked mass protests that pushed many institutions, including corporations, to confront racial inequality.  Looking back at 2020 to 2024, companies issued public statements embracing racial justice causes in the hopes of protecting their reputations from claims that their practices perpetuate inequality, particularly in regard to race.  In response to a furious conservative backlash, many began to withdraw those commitments.  The pendulum of retraction has swung quickly.  Our guest, Fordham Law Professor, Atinuke Adediran, author of “Disclosureland: How Corporate Words Constrain Racial Progress,” notes that even when companies pledge to hire and promote people of color or fund racial equity causes, those pledges often serve to narrow the scope of social responsibility. Often, these public pronouncements are put in place to preserve corporate financial interests while appearing responsive.  It’s an interesting discussion in these times of pushback against DEI practices in America.

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