For Amazon, Black Lives Don’t Matter
Amazon and other corporations are deeply complicit in the ongoing oppression and precarity of Black folk and their communities in America.
Plastered across Amazon’s homepage for the past few days is a black banner with white, bold text that reads “Black lives matter.” Amazon wants the world to know that it “stands in solidarity with the Black community” by donating $10 million to organizations that support justice and equity such as the NAACP, National Urban League, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and UNCF, among others. In a recent blogpost, the company stated that Amazon is “committed to helping build a country and a world where everyone can live with dignity and free from fear.” These public remarks are not unique, as they echo those of nearly every other American corporation and institution. Yes, they are all saying the right things; however, their words all ring hollow given that Amazon and other corporations are deeply complicit in the ongoing oppression and precarity of Black folk and their communities in America.
While it is certainly commendable that Amazon is “donating” $10 million to the aforementioned communities, it is arguable that Amazon is doing this mainly for the good publicity and as a form of advertising. While $10 million is not an insignificant sum of money, when it comes to a company valued at over $1 trillion and owned by the…
