Andy Jassy—Amazon rolled back DEI programs and removed diversity language from annual report under Jassy
In December 2024, Amazon began winding down DEI programs under an internal memo from VP Candi Castleberry. By February 2025, Amazon removed all references to diversity and inclusion from its annual report and consolidated separate DEI policy sections on its website into a single paragraph, removing mentions of 'transgender.' Jassy characterized the cuts as part of cost-cutting efforts. This reversed years of investment in DEI initiatives including HBCU partnerships and representation targets.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEI Programs | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.643 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.57)× agency (reactive ×0.75)
Evidence (1 signal)
Amazon halted DEI programs and scrubbed diversity language from annual report and website
CNBC reported that Amazon began winding down DEI programs in December 2024 via internal memo, then removed all diversity and inclusion references from its February 2025 annual report. Separate sections on 'Equity for Black people,' 'Diversity, equity and inclusion,' and 'LGBTQ+ rights' were consolidated into a single paragraph with 'transgender' removed entirely.