Amazon dials back DEI programs ahead of Trump inauguration
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Online giant is among several companies ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs before Trump takes office. Amazon.com is winding down diversity programs ahead of Republican Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency, amid growing conservative opposition to such initiatives.
Some of biggest businesses in the US have been scaling back their diversity initiatives, years after pushing for more inclusive policies in the wake of protests that followed the police killings of George Floyd and other Black Americans in 2020. Amazon, in a December memo to employees on Friday, said it was “winding down outdated programs and materials” related to representation and inclusion, aiming to complete the process by the end of 2024.
Conservative groups have denounced the programs and threatened to sue companies over them, emboldened by a US supreme court ruling in 2023 that struck down affirmative action in university admissions decisions. Just this week, Elon Musk and other Trump allies blamed diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs for hindering the response to raging wildfires in Los Angeles, without evidence. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, gave Trump’s inaugural committee $1m.
“The legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing,” Janelle Gale, vice-president of human resources at Meta, said in the memo, which was seen by Reuters and originally reported by Axios.
