On December 16, 2024, Candi Castleberry, Amazon’s Vice President of Inclusive Experiences and Technology, shared an internal message revealing the company’s plan to gradually discontinue and reassess certain DEI initiatives. This change includes “removing outdated programs and materials” as a component of Amazon’s persistent endeavors to tackle representation and inclusion.
On December 16, 2024, Candi Castleberry, Amazon’s Vice President of Inclusive Experiences and Technology, issued an internal memo announcing the company’s decision to phase out and reevaluate some of its DEI initiatives. The move involves “eliminating outdated programs and materials” as part of Amazon’s ongoing efforts to address representation and inclusion.
Castleberry explained that over the past few years, Amazon has been reviewing its company-wide programs, each of which was designed to address specific disparities. According to her, these initiatives are intended to conclude once their respective disparities are resolved. The memo also emphasized the shift towards building programs that are “open to everyone” rather than allowing individual groups to create their own initiatives.
This strategy is in sync with a larger corporate tendency among big companies, such as Meta, McDonald’s, and Walmart, who have also reduced their DEI initiatives in the past years.
Moreover, Amazon has revised its “Our Positions” page, merging explicit references to particular groups into more comprehensive statements regarding equity and inclusion. For example, a part that earlier declared, “Inequity in the treatment of Black people is unacceptable,” has been altered to, “We believe that inequitable treatment of any individual, including Black, LGBTQ+, Asian, women, and others, is unacceptable. We support policies aimed at removing obstacles to equity and fostering an inclusive workplace for all staff members.”
Additionally, Amazon has updated its “Our Positions” page, consolidating explicit mentions of specific groups into broader statements on equity and inclusion. For instance, a section that previously stated, “Inequity in the treatment of Black people is unacceptable,” has been revised to, “We believe that inequitable treatment of any individual, including Black, LGBTQ+, Asian, women, and others, is unacceptable. We advocate for policies designed to eliminate barriers to equity and create an inclusive environment for all employees.”
These updates reflect Amazon’s goal of building more inclusive and effective programs that are embedded within the company’s core processes, replacing standalone initiatives.
