Staff Reports
Amazon has officially entered the ever-growing list of tech companies retreating from their overzealous commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This retreat is particularly noteworthy as it marks the latest step in a trend that includes other giants like Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, and John Deere. It seems that after a few years of glorifying hiring quotas and left-leaning ideologies, these companies are starting to realize that perhaps treating employees as mere checkboxes on a social justice scorecard isn’t the most effective way to operate a business.
In a memo leaked to Bloomberg, an Amazon senior HR director announced that the company will be winding down plenty of its “outdated programs and materials.” Apparently, they felt it was time for a little spring cleaning—regardless of the season. This review involves about 100 initiatives, and the anticipation of a more effective and genuinely inclusive culture is in the works. However, details on what exactly will be cut remain as vague as Aunt Edna’s “secret recipe” for fruit salad.
BIG News: On Dec. 4th I notified Amazon that they’d be an upcoming focus for us in 2025 as part of our project to expose woke companies.
Today they’re announcing a halt to some DEI policies and they’ve removed language about DEI goals and transgenderism from their site.
Amazon… pic.twitter.com/tINUQlvElE
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 10, 2025
To add a bit of spice to the situation, Amazon appears to have quietly scrubbed references to specific issues like “Equity for Black people” and LGBTQ+ rights from its publicly available positions page. The company claims that these updates are just part of routine maintenance. Nothing says “we’re not trying to hide anything” like stealthily wiping away sections of their website. Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, just casually noted that changes are no big deal, as they sometimes update their pages. Talk about a classic “nothing to see here” approach.
Meanwhile, conservative activist Robby Starbuck has been watching closely from the sidelines. He made it clear to Amazon that if they didn’t make some changes to their controversial DEI policies, he would have no choice but to expose their leftist tendencies. In a savvy move, he let the company know he would be shining a spotlight on what he considered their “woke policies.” Starbucks’s post on social media indicated he would wait and see if Amazon can substantiate its claims of rolling back these initiatives with actual action.
Starbucks doesn’t seem satisfied with vague promises; he firmly believes the public deserves transparency regarding whether these policies are truly shifting. He expressed hope that Amazon’s changes may lead to a more merit-based corporate culture, where qualifications reign supreme instead of social narratives. The clock is ticking for Amazon to demonstrate that they’re not merely throwing a Band-Aid over a previously gaping wound of wokeness but are genuinely interested in creating a balanced work environment devoid of political agendas.
