The company is now backing away from any connection with the controversial materials after the guide went viral and customers threatened to boycott.
QUICK FACTS:
- One woman’s tweet went viral after she posted photos of a handout supposedly posted in the break room at a Canadian Home Depot.
- Twitter users responded, prompting tens of thousands of tweets commenting on the handout as well as Home Depot themselves, according to Market Watch.
- According to a report by The New York Post, the company was “hammered” over the flyer.
- A spokeswoman from Home Depot’s US headquarters confirmed to The Post that the white privilege notice was material from its Canadian division.
WHAT THE HANDOUT SAID:
- “Leading Practices: Unpacking Privilege,” was at the top of the sheet photographed by a Home Depot employee. The paper also highlights “social advantages” such as white privilege, class privilege, Christian privilege, and cisgender privilege that supposedly benefit some at the detriment of others.
- One example offered in the educational material stated, “If you’re confident that the police exist to protect you, you have white privilege.”
- Another said, “If you can expect time off from work to celebrate your religious holidays, you have Christian privilege.”
- Additionally, being able-bodied, heterosexual, and male are considered types of privilege.
BACKGROUND:
- A company spokesperson told MarketWatch via email that while the “Unpacking Privilege” guide is indeed authentic, it nevertheless “seems to have very limited views.”
- The rep added that “While we fully support diversity across our company, this material was not created or approved by our corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion department. This was a resource in our Canadian division and not part of any required programming.”