WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, America First Legal (AFL) demanded that the midwestern supermarket chain Hy-Vee, Inc. stop violating federal anti-discrimination law through the company’s “OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit’s Pitch Competition.”
Hy-Vee claims to have committed $50,000 to “local minority and women-owned businesses across Missouri and surrounding states” through a “pitch competition” that will be held at Hy-Vee’s annual OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit.
However, this “inclusive” summit is actually anything but, as Hy-Vee intentionally excludes small businesses from the “pitch competition” based solely on the race and sex of the business owners. Only businesses with “at least 51% ownership, operation[,] and control by the following diversity classifications defined by the Small Business Administration: minority, women, and/or other disadvantaged populations” may participate.
Hy-Vee’s racist and sexist “pitch competition” violates federal anti-discrimination laws and contradicts its management’s claim that Hy-Vee is “building a company where everyone — employees and customers alike — are treated with respect and dignity, and our differences are embraced and celebrated.” AFL will continue fighting to expose and combat corporations that embrace the destructive and divisive woke DEI agenda.
Statement from Reed D. Rubinstein, America First Legal Senior Vice President:
“The notion that Hy-Vee, a company that claims to treat everyone with respect and dignity, can turn around and, in the name of “diversity” and “inclusion,” exclude businesses owned by white men from its pitch competition simply because of their race and sex is absurd. Corporations may not lawfully experiment with race-based means to achieve ends they deem socially desirable. As our Supreme Court has emphasized, the way for companies to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race. “ said Reed D. Rubinstein.
Read the letter here.
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