An organization representing black farmers called for the resignation of the CEO of Tractor Supply after the company announced it would no longer support DEI programs and threatened a boycott if its demands weren't met.
The company was criticized widely on social media after it was discovered to have implemented programs in accordance with the woke agenda. On Thursday, the company caved to the public pressure and said it would cancel its carbon emissions goals and programs of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Tractor Supply also said it would stop sending data to the Human Rights Campaign, the organizer of LGBTQ+ political action.
'I see this as rolling back the clock with race relations.'
On Tuesday, the head of the National Black Farmers Association said in an interview that he was "appalled" by the decision at Tractor Supply.
“I see this as rolling back the clock with race relations — because the country is so divided on race, especially in rural America," said John Boyd Jr., according to the Associated Press. Boyd said that he tried to contact the company's CEO, Hal Lawton, before taking the drastic step to call for his resignation. “He’s gone too far — and we have to let him know we’re not going to sit back and take this mess anymore,” Boyd added. He went on to say that the NBFA would consider a boycott if Tractor Supply did not respond to its demands. “We’re tired of (being) mistreated by the government and Fortune 500 companies," he continued. "Black farmers are going to start fighting back. And that’s what we’re doing.”The AP report cited some customers who had already decided to take their business elsewhere after hearing about the announcement. “It’s mind-boggling to me that a company would cave to basically a hate campaign,” said Squirrelwood Equine Sanctuary co-founder Beth Hyman, who is also gay. “Now they just have another boycott on their hands. We didn’t call for that, but obviously people are.”'Tractor supply don't like Blacks?' Boyd posted his call on social media and tagged celebrities like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, the rapper 50 Cent, and Joe Biden in an attempt to garner attention for his boycott threat. "Tractor supply don't like Blacks?" he asked in another post.
Tractor Supply runs more than 2,200 stores nationwide and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee.
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