Sam’s Club CEO, Rosalind Brewer, has sparked a boycott following comments that have been deemed racist by conservatives.
Brewer stated her desire to see more diversity at the top as well as throughout companies; not just white men in high power positions.
She spoke to CNN’s Poppy Harlow about diversity, saying, "I demand it of my team,” adding, "Every now and then you have to nudge your partners. You have to speak up and speak out. And I try to use my platform for that. I try to set an example."
The comment that sparked criticism was Brewer, who has been CEO since 2012, sharing an incident that bothered her.
She said she was at a meeting with suppliers, explaining, "The entire other side of the table was all Caucasian male. That was interesting."
Brewer went on to say she was "going to place a call" to the supplier about their lack of diversity within their company.
As a result, the hashtag #BoycottRacistSamsClub started on social media sites, which prompted the President and CEO of Wal-Mart to defend her.
"For years, we've asked our suppliers to prioritize the talent and diversity of their sales teams calling on our company," he said in a statement. "Roz was simply trying to reiterate that we believe diverse and inclusive teams make for a stronger business. That's all there is to it and I support that important ideal."