Watch out Target, seems like McDonald’s about to join you in the boycott doghouse. The home of the Golden Arches, not to be confused with the Golden Arcs from McDowells in Coming to America, ha, is under fire this week as a grassroots organization based in Illinois calls for a national boycott over the company’s recent pullback from diversity initiatives. The People’s Union USA, known for rallying around social justice causes, launched a weeklong protest against the fast food chain, accusing it of abandoning core commitments to equity and inclusion.
What are DEI initiatives?
In the United States, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are organizational frameworks that seek to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination based on identity or disability.
The new boycott, which began on Tuesday and runs through Monday, was announced through a post on the Gram by John Schwarz, the group’s founder. “Let them feel it,” Schwarz wrote. “Let them hear us. Let this be just the beginning.” He described the protest as “a show of strength, solidarity, people-powered change.”
This very real public response against the house of Ronald McDonald, stems from McDonald’s quiet decision earlier this year to scale down its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. In January 2025, the company cited “a shifting legal landscape” following executive orders from President Donald Trump that dismantled federal DEI mandates. Critics, however, argue that the move was unnecessary, especially since private businesses are not legally required to follow that directive. Other major companies like Delta and Costco have continued to invest in similar programs despite the changing political climate.
In case you missed it, McDonald’s initially introduced its DEI platform in 2021 amid a wave of public scrutiny that included employee-led sexual harassment lawsuits and a racial bias case from former Black franchisees. At the time, CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a post on LinkedIn, “As a world-leading brand that considers inclusion one of our core values, we will accept nothing less than real, measurable progress in our efforts to lead with empathy, treat people with dignity and respect, and seek out diverse points of view to drive better decision-making.”
Get this, now with the company reversing course, many are calling that promise into question. The backlash arrives as McDonald’s battles internal turbulence and shrinking customer traffic. During a May earnings call, company executives admitted that their U.S. business has seen its weakest quarter since the start of the pandemic. “People are just visiting less,” one leader confessed, reflecting a growing disconnect between the brand and its core audience.
As we mentioned, The People’s Union boycott places McDonald’s in the same spotlight as other major corporations like Target, which also faced organized backlash for dialing down DEI efforts. With economic activism gaining traction, this moment signals a broader reckoning for brands looking to walk back on promises made in recent years.
Anyways, this will be interesting to see if McDonalds feels the same pain as Target. They’re pretty big, so probably not so much. Time will tell.