Watchdog Group Claims Major Corporations Are Keeping ‘Woke 1.0’ Alive

A conservative advocacy group, in a recent report, accused multiple companies of embracing certain left-wing practices.

“7Eleven, Carhartt, DraftKings, Duluth Trading Co, Traeger, Bank of America, BlackRock, and Nike are evidence Woke is still alive and well in corporate America,” Consumers’ Research claimed in a report Friday. The report comes weeks after multiple Democratic figures, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, appear to have been trying to distance themselves from the “Woke 1.0” identity politics that dominated public discourse in recent years.

“Woke companies want you to believe they’ve moved on, but don’t be fooled,” Consumers’ Research Executive Director Will Hild said in a statement obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. “For years, major corporations pushed political agendas on American consumers that had nothing to do with serving their customers.”

“Now, as the backlash grows, many of those same companies and politicians who championed woke the loudest, are quietly trying to hide their position with more moderate rhetoric and hoping everyone forgets,” Hild’s statement continues. “Changing job titles, rebranding DEI as belonging, and calling ‘Woke 1’ crazy shouldn’t distract from the fact that wokeness in corporate America isn’t dead, they’ve just gotten quieter about it.”

Likewise, 7Eleven “remains openly committed to DEI” on its website, according to Consumers’ Research.

“We strive for equality and are committed to taking bold action when it comes to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Our strategy focuses on three core pillars: Foster an inclusive workplace culture, cultivate diverse talent, and positively impact the communities we serve,” 7Eleven’s website states.

The American convenience store chain also highlights its “wonderfully diverse employees,” according to its 2025 Impact Report.

Meanwhile, Carhartt, a workwear company, put its “chief woke enforcer in charge of HR and workplace culture” by promoting its senior vice president of inclusion and sustainability to chief people and impact officer, according to Consumers’ Research.

Another clothing company featured in Consumers’ Research’s report is Duluth Trading Co., which “says every employee participates in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training, making DEI a companywide requirement, and touts ‘inclusive talent recruitment’” on its webpage titled “Humanity.”

The report also accused DraftKings of “tout[ing] its commitment to ‘Global Belonging’ and attempt[ing] to hide its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies by rebranding them to Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging (IEB).”

The sports betting company announced in a January press release that it won one of the “Best Places to Work” awards by Built In, which “weigh[s] criteria like remote and flexible work opportunities, programs for DEI, and other people-first cultural offerings,” according to Consumers’ Research.

“[W]e have continued to prioritize our ongoing commitment to environmental, social, and governance (‘ESG’) issues, with support across our organization, from our Executive Leadership Team (‘ELT’) to our Board of Directors (‘Board’) to our 4,000+ global employees. In particular, we advanced our responsible gaming, corporate social responsibility, and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives,” DraftKings CEO Jason Robins wrote in the company’s 2023 Sustainability Report.

Traeger Grills, which invented the wood pellet grill, said in its 2024 proxy statement that “Traeger’s diversity initiatives, as well as our formal Diversity Equity and Inclusion Policy, codifies these values and our commitment to a diverse and inclusive culture,” according to Consumers’ Research.

Additionally, Consumers’ Research accused Traeger of “attempt[ing] to rebrand its DEI goals to ‘inclusion and belonging’” in its 2025 10-K annual report.

The report also claims Traeger’s Sustainable Wood Sourcing Policy “evaluates suppliers’ ‘ESG stewardship and performance,’ including environmental and social criteria, and may require suppliers to complete corrective-action plans before Traeger will work with them.”

The report also said that, “[w]hile the woke activity of the above popular companies may surprise some, the relentless activism of woke corporate giants like Bank of America, BlackRock, and Nike should shock no one.”

“[Bank of America] is still devoted to a radical climate agenda, and in accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement (of which the U.S. is no longer a part), it aims to achieve net zero emissions before 2050. Bank of America also committed to mobilize $1 trillion by 2030 to expedite the transition to a low-carbon economy,” according to the report, highlighting the financial institution’s website and 2025 sustainability report as demonstrating such a commitment.

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management company, reportedly merged its DEI program into its “Talent and Culture” department and also uses “DEI-esque” language like “sex (including pregnancy and gender identity/expression), sexual orientation… genetic information…” on its website, according to Consumers’ Research’s report.

The eighth company featured in the report is Nike, which “still continues to push woke policies like allowing men to play in women’s sports through campaigns like ‘Be True,’” according to Consumers’ Research.

“All identities, bodies, and communities have the right to pursue their health and wellness goals safely, without concern or judgment,” the sportswear company’s webpage for its Be True Collection — which appears to feature transgender-identifying models — states.

Another LGBTQ+ initiative flagged in the report was Nike’s “No Pride, No Sport,” which “targets children and hopes to ‘make sport available to everyone, everywhere,’” according to Consumers’ Research.

None of the aforementioned companies from the Consumers’ Research report responded to the DCNF’s requests for comment at the time of publication.

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