Amazon has updated its company policy and a section of its website that provides employment information, removing language that ensures protection for Black and LGBTQ+ employees.
In late December 2024, the company removed statements supporting and advocating for transgender rights protections as well as expressing “solidarity” with Black employees and customers, according to The Washington Post.
Amazon also removed language supporting laws to address misconduct and racial bias in policing, initiatives to protect and expand voting rights, and efforts to promote better health and educational opportunities for Black people.
The sections titled “Equity for Black People” and “LGBTQ+ Rights” no longer exist in the company’s policy, along with all references to the term “transgender.” The “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” section now states that “inequitable treatment of anyone — including Black people, LGBTQ+ people, Asians, women, and others — is unacceptable.”
A page once titled “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” is now named “Inclusive Experiences and Technology,” and the company’s commitment to “advance DEI through technology” is now a pledge to “advance the employee experience,” per The Post.
In a December 2024 memo to employees, Candi Castleberry, Amazon’s vice president of inclusive experiences and technology, said the Jeff Bezos-founded company was “winding down outdated programs and materials” as part of a review of hundreds of initiatives, Bloomberg reported. Of note, Castleberry also was on the receiving end of these changes, as she was previously vice president of global diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“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,” Castleberry said.
Amazon is the second-largest private employer in the U.S., behind Walmart Inc., which has 1.6 million workers. In November 2024, Walmart announced changes to its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies as well, AFROTECH™ reported.
On Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, more than 30 shareholders wrote a letter to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon expressing their “deep disappointment” in the company’s decision, urging it to reconsider its stance.
These broader changes come as major corporations appear to seek alignment with President-elect Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, adjusting their policies and rolling back or terminating DEI initiatives ahead of his return to the White House on Jan. 20, 2025. The move is also likely due to the “shifting legal landscape” following the Supreme Court ruling in June 2023 against affirmative action, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.
Earlier this month, McDonald’s dismantled some of its diversity initiatives, according to AFROTECH™ as well as introduced a new concept called the “Golden Rule,” which aims to treat “everyone with dignity, fairness, and respect, always.”
The company has also “retired” its diversity goals for senior leadership and halted a program to further diversify leadership among its suppliers.
As part of these changes, McDonald’s diversity team is now the “Global Inclusion Team.” The company stated that it will continue its internal efforts regarding diversity and will report demographic information annually, but it will not fall under the DEI messaging.
Meta is following suit. In a memo shared with employees on Friday, Jan. 10, Janelle Gale, Meta’s vice president of human resources, shared that the company will no longer have a dedicated DEI team and will implement initiatives focused “on applying fair and consistent practices to mitigate bias for everyone, regardless of their background,” per AFROTECH™.
The company said it will continue to seek candidates from diverse backgrounds but plans to discontinue the diverse-slate hiring approach, which requires employers to consider a diverse group of candidates for every available position.
Gale further shared that the company will put an end to its “representation goals,” since it could suggest bias and that decisions are based on gender or race.
“The legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing,” Gale wrote in the memo. “The Supreme Court of the United States has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI. … The term ‘DEI’ has also become charged, in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others.”
