STATEMENT: Athena Coalition Responds to Amazon’s Black Leadership Departures

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 22, 2022
Contact: press@athenaforall.org

In response to two of Amazon’s most senior Black executives departing the company, the Athena Coalition provided the following statement:

“Less than a year into his tenure as CEO of Amazon, and amidst growing scrutiny from workers, shareholders, and elected officials over the corporation’s exploitative working conditions, Andy Jassy is hemorrhaging senior executive staff. Recently, Dave Clark announced his leave from Amazon after 23 years; just yesterday, it was reported that Alicia Boler Davis and David Bozeman are leaving the company, after short tenures of just 3 and 5 years, respectively.

Amazon no longer has any Black executives or women of color on its senior leadership team of more than 2 dozen executives, which oversees a workforce that is made up of nearly 70% workers of color. And even with Dave Clark’s departure, there are more white men named David remaining on Amazon’s senior leadership team than executives of color.

Boler Davis and Bozeman’s departures confirm what workers and organizers have long known: anti-Black Amazon is a hostile environment for Black workers, and makes its multi billion dollars of profit each year off the backs of communities of color. Andy Jassy’s early months at the helm of anti-Black Amazon show no signs of this changing under his leadership.

Boler Davis is leaving her post as the head of Amazon’s fulfillment operations, including warehouses and logistics, as Amazon fulfillment workers across the country are speaking out, organizing, and fighting for a more dignified workplace.”

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The Athena Coalition is made up of 50+ organizations working together to break the dangerous stranglehold of Amazon over our democracy, economy, and planet.