Last Updated:
1/31/21 2:38 PM
overall rating:
keep going
Amazon
Internal Representation & Support
57%
Public Commitment
61%
External Communication
65%
To evaluate this pillar, we take into consideration a range of factors, including but not limited to:
- Employee representation
- Diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI)
We weigh a company’s degree of public commitment primarily on their monetary contributions to DEI matters or organizations fighting racial injustice.
Forms of monetary support we look for:
One-off donations
Recurring donations
Grant initiatives
Employee donation matching
Highlights
Amazon has notably increased its external DEI efforts, for instance through its Amazon Alexa Fund launching programs to increase inclusiveness and equity among Black, Latinx, and Indigenous entrepreneurs.
Lowlights
None of Amazon's top 6 executive leaders are Black despite the fact that Black people make up more than 26% of the company's US workforce. Amazon's initial donation toward organizations fighting racial justice was abysmal at $10M (about 0.004% of their 2019 revenue of $280B). Moreover, the company has faced multiple accusations of racism and discrimination towards Black employees, rendering Jeff Bezos' seemingly avid support of racial justice little more than lip service.
We scour the company’s website and official social media channels to determine what message they are sending around racial injustice, how they are communicating it, and whether their communications are perceived as genuine or performative.
Public statement: We verify that companies have made a formal statement regarding racial injustice.
Social media: We consider how a company uses their platform(s) beyond performative allyship.
Representation: For companies that have the opportunity to showcase diversity in their feed, we consider whether they have adequate Black representation and BIPOC representation across their models.
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Deep Dive
I. Internal Representation & Support:
Board of Directors:
8% - 9% Black, 16% - 20% BIPOC, 41% - 45% Women
Executive Leadership:
0% (none) Black, 0% (none) BIPOC, 11% - 20% Women
> 15% Black, > 40% BIPOC, 41% - 45% Women
Workforce:
An appointed DEI senior leader and/or a dedicated DEI organization, A Black employee resource group
DEI Support:
II. Public Commitment
Amazon has pledged a donation of 0.001% - 0.009% of annual revenue towards racial injustice, specifically for Black lives. Additionally, Amazon has engaged in actions that advance racial justice and/or uplift BIPOC communities, such as partnerships with nonprofits or mission-based organizations, sponsorship of individuals who use their platform to speak out on racial injustice, sponsorship of events, and matching donations to a broad range of qualifying organizations. Amazon is also an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, people living with disabilities, and Indigienous populations.
III. External Communications
Amazon has issued a public statement, both on social media and in a public memo, addressing racial injustice that explicitly stated "Black Lives Matter." Since June 2020, 0.1% - 9% of the brand's social media content has been centered around racial injustice with posts seeming performative in nature. While the brand has made an effort to include ethnic diversity, specifically increasing Black representation, and has shown inclusion through featuring a range of models, there is little to no evidence of their support of the LGBTQ+ community on social media beyond a post for Pride.
