People hold placards during a protest in support of Amazon workers in Union Square, New York / Photo Credit: Kena Betancur
Charlotte Newman filed a lawsuit against Amazon at the District Court in Washington, D.C., concerning violations of the Equality Pay Act. She is a graduate of Harvard University and worked for three years as an economic policy advisor to Senator Cory Booker. She alleges that she faced gender discrimination from her former superiors at the Amazon Corporation.
She states that she was discriminated against by her boss, director Steve Block, who constantly called her “scary” and “too direct”. She had filed a complaint that she was sexually harassed by Andres Maz, another former superior, which has led to his dismissal from the company. Newman shares that whilst the complaint was being investigated, she was made to continue attending meetings with Andrew Maz.
Newman states that she had initially applied for a higher position in the Amazon corporation but was offered the position of a senior manager in the Amazon Web Service. Despite her impressive qualifications and experience, she witnessed many white employees, who had started at the same level as her, receive promotions whilst not possessing a college degree or the required experience. She shares that it took many years for her to gain promotions in the company.
Following the George Floyd incident, Newman was inspired to speak out about her experience as a black female employee at Amazon. Many black employees at Amazon have also filed complaints about facing racial discrimination in the workplace. Newman has stated that she will continue to work at Amazon because she wants to stay and witness the changes that the company will be implementing to protect and ensure professional advancement for black women like herself.
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