Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 01, 2025

Uber Puts Its Diversity Head On Leave Over 'Don't Call Me Karen' Events

Uber Puts Its Diversity Head On Leave Over 'Don't Call Me Karen' Events

Uber's head of diversity, equity, and inclusion has been put on administrative leave after complaints from black and Hispanic workers regarding workplace events.
Uber Technologies, the technology platform for transport, has placed its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) chief Bo Young Lee on leave following complaints from employees that her employee event, "Don't Call Me Karen," was offensive to persons of colour, according to The New York Times.

Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber's CEO, and Nikki Krishnamurthy, chief people officer, last week asked Bo Young Lee, head of diversity, "to step back and take a leave of absence while we determine next steps," according to an email from Mr Krishnamurthy to some employees that was viewed by The New York Times.

"We have heard that many of you are in pain and upset by yesterday's Moving Forward session," the email said. "While it was meant to be a dialogue, it's obvious that those who attended did not feel heard."

The news outlet further wrote that the employees' concerns centered on a pair of events-one last month and another Wednesday-that were billed as "diving into the spectrum of the American white woman's experience" and hearing from white women who work at Uber, with a focus on "the 'Karen' persona."

They were intended to be an "open and honest conversation about race," according to the invitation. But workers instead felt that they were being lectured on the difficulties experienced by white women, why "Karen" was a derogatory term, and that Lee was dismissive of their concerns, according to messages sent on Slack, a workplace messaging tool, that were viewed by the Times.

According to the CBS News, the word "Karen" gained traction after a white woman in New York, Amy Cooper, was dubbed "Central Park Karen" for calling the police on a black man who was bird-watching in the park, falsely accusing him of threatening her life when he asked her to leash her dog in compliance with local laws.

Cooper was subsequently fired from her job at the investment management company Franklin Templeton, with her former employer saying at the time that it did not "tolerate racism of any kind."

Other names, including Ken, Chad, and Steve, have also been used to refer to white men who are perceived as behaving in a privileged, racist manner.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
×