Uber’s Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Bo Young Lee, has been put on temporary leave by the woke Silicon Valley giant following employee backlash over an event she moderated titled “Don’t Call Me Karen” which focused on the negative connotations of the stereotype about white women. Outraged employees felt the event minimized the experiences of minorities, resulting in the company announced, “We have heard that many of you are in pain and upset by yesterday’s Moving Forward session.”
The New York Times reports that Bo Young Lee, the head of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Uber, has been temporarily placed on leave due to complaints about an event she moderated that some staff members felt was insensitive to minorities. Lee, herself an asian woman, is the latest executive to draw the ire of the woke mob they played a role in creating.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi
Employees expressed concern that the focus on the derogatory implications of the term “Karen” detracted from what the woke mob believes are more significant issues of systemic racism during an event that was open to the entire company and intended to discuss the experiences of white women and the “Karen” stereotype.
“We have heard that many of you are in pain and upset by yesterday’s Moving Forward session,” said Nikki Krishnamurthy, the chief people officer at Uber, in an email to employees. “While it was meant to be a dialogue, it’s obvious that those who attended did not feel heard.”
According to the invitation, the “Don’t Call Me Karen” series of events was created to promote “an open and honest conversation about race.” Employee feedback, however, indicated that rather than engaging in a productive discussion about more general racial issues, the woke mob felt they were being lectured about the challenges faced by white women.
In popular culture, the term “Karen” now denotes a privileged, frequently entitled white woman who is quick to complain to store managers, call the police over minor issues that do not break any laws, or generally inflame tensions in public. Employees believed that by focusing on this term, the event was minimizing racism’s existence and the harm it causes to minorities.
One employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “I think when people are called Karens it’s implied that this is someone that has little empathy to others or is bothered by minorities others that don’t look like them. Like why can’t bad behavior not be called out?”
Under the direction of Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who has been steering the company away from its previous aggressive culture and towards more diversity and inclusivity, the backlash demonstrates how wokeness impacts Silicon Valley companies.
Following the controversy, Uber spokesperson Noah Edwardsen confirmed in a statement, “I can confirm that Bo is currently on a leave of absence,” however, no further details were provided regarding the duration or implications of this leave.
The decision has been well-received by the workforce, who see it as evidence that Uber’s management is paying attention to their concerns. In a moment of relief, an Uber employee said that executives “have heard us, they know we are hurting, and they want to understand what all happened too.”
Read more at the New York Times here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan
