Uber Puts Diversity Head on Leave After Worker Backlash Over ‘Don’t Call Me Karen’ Events

Uber has put Bo Young Lee, its caput of diversity, equity, and inclusion, besides referred to arsenic DEI, connected time off successful caller days aft labor expressed outrage complete a bid of events she moderated titled, “Don’t Call Me Karen,” according to study from nan New York Times.

The company’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, and its main group officer, Nikki Krishnamurthy, purportedly told respective labor that Lee had been placed connected time off successful an email past week, nan Times stated. Employees had expressed outrage complete Lee’s “Don’t Call Me Karen” events, which nan institution described arsenic conversations “diving into nan spectrum of nan American achromatic woman’s experience.” The events focused specifically connected women deemed “Karens,” aliases achromatic women who telephone nan constabulary connected Black people.

Although nan talks, portion of nan company’s “Moving Forward” series, were reportedly aimed to beryllium an “open and honorable speech astir race,” Uber labor said they felt they were being lectured astir why nan word “Karen” was derogatory and nan struggles of achromatic women. When they raised their concerns to Lee, who has been Uber’s caput of diverseness since 2018, she reportedly dismissed them.

“We person heard that galore of you are successful symptom and upset by yesterday’s Moving Forward session,” Khosrowshahi and Krishnamurthy said successful their worker to Uber employees, according to nan Times. “While it was meant to beryllium a dialogue, it’s evident that those who attended did not consciousness heard.”

Gizmodo reached retired to Uber for remark connected nan Times study connected Monday greeting but did not instantly person a response.

Lee moderated 2 “Don’t Call Me Karen” events astatine Uber successful April and May. After nan first event, a Black female worker astatine Uber asked really nan institution would forestall “tone-deaf, offensive, and triggering conversations” from being portion of its diverseness efforts, nan Times found. Lee is said to person responded that nan “Moving Forward” bid meant to beforehand reliable conversations and was not meant to beryllium comfortable.

“Sometimes being pushed retired of your ain strategical ignorance is nan correct point to do,” Lee purportedly said.