Amazon joins other companies in scaling back DEI programs

[Karah]

AMAZON’S SCALING BACK SOME OF ITS DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES … JOINING A GROWING LIST OF MAJOR CORPORATIONS MAKING SIMILAR MOVES IN LIGHT OF INCREASING POLITICAL SCRUTINY.

THE COMPANY’S VICE PRESIDENT OF INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY, CANDI CASTLEBERRY SENT OUT A RECENTLY UNCOVERED MEMO TO EMPLOYEES LAST MONTH, BLOOMBERG REPORTS. IN IT, SHE SAYS THE COMPANY WAS WINDING DOWN OUTDATED DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION PROGRAMS… ADDING QUOTE 

“RATHER THAN HAVE INDIVIDUAL GROUPS BUILD PROGRAMS, WE ARE FOCUSING ON PROGRAMS WITH PROVEN OUTCOMES — AND WE ALSO AIM TO FOSTER A MORE TRULY INCLUSIVE CULTURE.”

THE NOTE DIDN’T SAY WHICH PROGRAMS THE COMPANY WAS DROPPING, BUT THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTS SECTIONS FROM ITS WEBSITE INCLUDING “EQUITY FOR BLACK PEOPLE AND “L-G-B-T-Q PLUS” RIGHTS WERE REMOVED FROM THE PAGE, ALONG WITH ALL MENTIONS OF TRANSGENDER.

THE SITE CURRENTLY STILL HAS OTHER DIVERSITY SECTIONS LISTED INCLUDING “LATINOS AT AMAZON”, “AMAZON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES” AND ..“BLACK EMPLOYEE NETWORK.”

IN 2020, AMAZON SET A GOAL OF DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF BLACK EMPLOYEES IN VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR ROLES … ANNOUNCING THE SAME GOAL IN 20-21 IN ADDITION TO PLEDGING TO HIRE 30 PERCENT MORE BLACK EMPLOYEES IN TOP POSITIONS.

OTHER MAJOR COMPANIES HAVE ALSO RECENTLY CURBED D-E-I PROGRAMS. ON FRIDAY,  WE REPORTED META WAS  ENDING ITS DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION PROGRAMS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.

WE’VE SEEN SIMILAR MOVES AT MCDONALD’S, FORD AND WAL-MART.

THE D-E-I CHANGES COME AHEAD OF A SECOND TERM FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP WHO SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TOWARD THE END OF HIS FIRST TERM IN 2020 BANNING DIVERSITY TRAINING IN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, CONTRACTORS AND INSTITUTIONS THAT GET FEDERAL FUNDING.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER WHEN HE TOOK OFFICE ASKING GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO PROMOTE CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICERS AND HOLD D-E-I TRAINING, WHICH SOME ARE NOW ANTICIPATING TRUMP WILL ELIMINATE.

THE CHANGES FOR COMPANIES ALSO COME AFTER CONSERVATIVE CRITICISM OF D-E-I PROGRAMS  *AND* THE SUPREME COURT’S RULING AGAINST AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN 20-23 … REVERSING A DECADES-LONG EFFORT TO BOOST ENROLLMENT OF RACIAL MINORITIES AT UNIVERSITIES.

THE DEBATE HAS CRITICS WHO ARGUE D-E-I POLICIES VIOLATE THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUAL TREATMENT UNDER THE LAW WHEN IT COMES TO ADMISSIONS, HIRING AND PROMOTIONS AGAINST  ADVOCATES WHO SAY DIVERSITY PROGRAMS ARE STILL NECESSARY TO ADDRESS INEQUALITY. 

FOR SAN – I’M KARAH RUCKER   … FOR ALL YOUR LATEST NEWS HEADLINES – DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY.