Why Amazon’s Support For The Racial Inequality Protests Rings Hollow

It had all the trappings of a tastefully supportive message. On Sunday afternoon, Amazon followed the new brand blueprint of white text on a black background and tweeted out: “The inequitable and brutal treatment of Black people in our country must stop. Together we stand in solidarity with the Black community—our employees, customers, and partners—in the fight against systemic racism and injustice.” The company’s move came amid a rush of like-minded corporate tweets from a spectrum of brands that spanned from Netflix and Nike, to Disney and even Bratz. It also arrived about a month after Amazon fired Staten Island warehouse worker Christian Smalls, who is an African American, for protesting over coronavirus health concerns at its facility, complete with PR plans to smear him using racially coded language as a strategy to fight union organizing. Read more at Fast Company.