A memo from retail giant Best Buy was revealed on Tuesday highlighting the company’s professional development program for employees who “identify as Black, Latino, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander.”
“The program is not open to white applicants,” investigative journalist James O’Keefe said.
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The program had started in 2022, but O’Keefe’s viral post on Tuesday spurred social media users to call for boycotting Best Buy the way other boycotters had treated Bud Light.
“It’s time to Bud Light Best Buy,” one woman said on social media.
The Best Buy memo laid out opportunities for employees to accelerate their place in management in the company if they met certain qualifications.
“We’re excited to announce awesome news about the McKinsey professional development programs! As a part of Best Buy’s commitment to develop and support our employees, we’ve partnered with McKinsey & Company to offer the McKinsey Leadership Programs,” the memo reportedly from Best Buy said. “These professional development programs customize its curriculum and discussions to the unique situations, experiences and opportunities of diverse professionals.”
The program would help with management acceleration and “enhance their leadership through a mini-MBA style curriculum.” It would teach “strategy development, critical thinking, networking and problem solving.”
To qualify for the program, the memo states that employees must be in a salaried role, have worked more than a year at Best Buy, identify as black, Latino, Hispanic, Asian, or Pacific Islander, and can commit to the hours of the available programs.
“Our main focus through the collaboration of the cohorts is to create a space where everyone feels valued and included,” Senior Manager of Strategic Initiatives, Inclusion and Diversity Georgia Vahoua said on Best Buy’s website. “In addition to the core leadership and management skills that are learned, each cohort also provides a strong networking opportunity for its members that lasts long after the program ends.”
Social media torched the Best Buy memo with calls for boycotts.
“Let me introduce you to MicroCenter and Amazon. I feel bad saying this because it’ll affect the good people/good employees, but Best Buy needs to burn and close, ” one social media user said.
Let me introduce you to MicroCenter 🙂 and Amazon. I feel bad saying this because it’ll affect the good people/good employees, but best buy needs to burn and close. The “training” they give employees is awful. the store i worked at years ago was basically “say what you have to…
— Ninwah (@NinChaosWah) August 9, 2023
“Hey @BestBuy, I’m apparently not in your demographic. I’m canceling my credit card and won’t be shopping with you again,” one woman said in response.
“Is @BestBuy a racist company? By the looks of their management training program, the answer is an overwhelming YES. Time to give them the Bud Light treatment,” another person on social media said.
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America First Legal encouraged Best Buy discriminated employees to reach out to their legal organization.
“If you are a current Best Buy employee who does not qualify for this program because of your race, we want to hear from you today,” they said.
