Google has recently removed several prominent cultural events from its default calendar, raising questions about its commitment to diversity and inclusion. Events such as Black History Month, Pride Month, Jewish Heritage, Indigenous People Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Hispanic Heritage Month are no longer displayed automatically in the calendar.
This change was confirmed by Google spokesperson Madison Cushman Veld, who explained that the app had reverted to showing only public holidays and national observances listed by timeanddate.com. The move was made due to difficulties in maintaining and updating the extensive list of cultural events manually.
However, Google emphasized that users can still manually add these events to their calendars if they wish. This flexibility allows users to customize their calendars based on their personal preferences and cultural affiliations.
This news follows Google’s recent decision to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” for users in the United States. This move was made in accordance with a Trump administration executive order.
The timing of these changes has raised concerns among some users, coinciding with recent setbacks in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts by Big Tech companies. Meta, Google, and Amazon have announced changes or eliminations of DEI programs, with some removing mentions of DEI from their official filings.
Google’s removal of cultural events from its calendar may be seen as part of this broader trend, leading some to question if these changes reflect a shift in the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. It remains to be seen how Google will address these concerns and whether it will take steps to ensure that cultural events continue to have a prominent place within its products and services.
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