Update, July 14: Amazon employees from 33 countries donated $8.5 million through the company’s campaign to match donations and support organizations focused on combating systemic racism. With the company’s match, that means Amazon will donate an additional $17 million to the 12 organizations and their local affiliates, which the Black Employee Network (BEN) helped select. This is in addition to Amazon’s initial donation of $10M in early June. In all, these organizations have now received more than $27Mfrom the Amazon community.
Update, June 9: Since announcing our $10 million donation, we’ve heard many employees are making their own contributions—and we’ve decided to match their donations 100% up to $10,000 per employee to these 12 organizations until July 6, 2020.
The inequitable and brutal treatment of Black and African Americans is unacceptable.
Black lives matter. We stand in solidarity with our Black employees, customers, and partners, and are committed to helping build a country and a world where everyone can live with dignity and free from fear.
As part of that effort, Amazon will donate a total of $10 million to organizations that are working to bring about social justice and improve the lives of Black and African Americans. Recipients—selected with the help of Amazon's Black Employee Network (BEN)—include groups focused on combating systemic racism through the legal system as well as those dedicated to expanding educational and economic opportunities for Black communities.
In addition, BEN will receive a grant to fund local organizations that support education and racial equality initiatives in communities across the country where our employees live and work.
"Amazon’s leadership and BEN have worked hand-in-hand to identify organizations in the Black community that make a difference and will contribute to them in a meaningful way. In addition to the organizations listed, we will work with our chapters to identify local groups to support," said Angelina Howard, president of BEN. "We will continue these conversations about how Amazon can support employees and the entire Black community beyond these tragic recent events."
Together, we stand in solidarity with the Black community—our employees, customers, and partners—in the fight against systemic racism and injustice.
Photo above: We raised the Pan-African flag on Amazon's Seattle campus earlier this year in partnership with BEN to honor Black history and celebrate the meaning of the flag.
