A group of more than 30 shareholders representing $266 billion in funds has asked Walmart Inc. to explain its business case for retreating on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, describing the decision as “disheartening.

Thirteen state attorneys general sent a letter to Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon asking him to reconsider the company’s rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion measures.

The top prosecutors from 13 states signed the letter addressed to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon. They want to know why Walmart is rolling back its diversity policies and how the company is planning to protect civil rights in the workplace.

Following in the footsteps of other major employers, tech companies like Meta and Amazon are making notable changes to their stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion. In the past year, all sorts of companies have retreated from their commitments to diversity,

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown joined a coalition of 13 other attorneys general in a letter urging Walmart to reconsider its plans to back away from its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Walmart isn’t alone in backtracking on its DEI programs. Other brands scaling down or dropping their DEI efforts include Meta, Amazon, Molson Coors, Tractor Supply, Caterpillar, John Deere, Lowe’s, Ford, Toyota and Harley-Davidson.

A group of shareholder activists defending diversity initiatives as a business necessity is decrying Walmart’s decision to nix certain DEI programs.