Uber fired its “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” officer after employees claimed that not calling white women “Karen” had “triggered” them and caused them “pain,” according to National File. The term “Karen” has been used to insult white women who complain about a given situation.
Bo Young Lee was Uber’s Asian officer for the “woke” position. She had previously hosted a discussion titled “Don’t Call Me Karen,” which was retaliated against by employees arguing that she was defending white women. The event was reportedly designed to focus on the “spectrum of the American white woman’s experience.” But it was not well-received by the black employees who experienced pain from a discussion that did not make them the center of attention.
The employees, known as the collective “Black at Uber,” ignited a pressure campaign to terminate the Asian. They were also reportedly upset that Hispanic employees did not share in their anger. Text messages reveal that the suspension of the DEI officer was celebrated. One user referenced an employee who brought it to Bo’s attention that the Karen discussion was not well-received.
“Just want to say a huge, huge thank you to the amazing ERG leaders, ESPECIALLY Black@, who elevated Bo’s behavior to Dara and made sure that our outrage didn’t go unheard. You deserve a pay raise and/or time off for all this unpaid emotional labor,” Wendy Matta wrote.
While on TimCast, Kingsley Cortes claimed that there is a racial caste in the U.S. She referenced the incident where a white hospital worker was lambasted on social media for allegedly “stealing” a Citibike from a black man. But receipts show that she was the one who purchased the bike. Nevertheless, the proof did not stop the internet world from hurling insults at the white woman for her alleged racism.
