Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said he’s “happy to lose” some business over his support of the Black Lives Matter movement, a remark that came in response to a customer’s racist rant.
Bezos posted the customer’s email on Instagram over the weekend, redacting both the sender’s last name and use of a racial slur. The customer, whose first name is listed as Dave, said he was withdrawing an order after hearing about Bezos’s support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I was placing an order with your company when I discovered your statement in support for Black Lives Matter,” the customer wrote. “Maintain your stance and we will watch your profits decline and laugh about it. My business relationship with you is over.”
Bezos responded by sharing a screenshot of the email, writing: “This sort of hate shouldn’t be allowed to hide in the shadows. It’s important to make it visible. This is just one example of the problem. And, Dave, you’re the kind of customer I’m happy to lose.”
Bezos, who is also owner of The Washington Post, recently pledged $10 million on Amazon’s behalf to organizations that work for social justice.
“The inequitable and brutal treatment of Black and African Americans is unacceptable,” the company wrote Wednesday in a blog post. “We believe Black lives matter. We stand in solidarity with our Black employees, customers, and partners, and are committed to helping build a country and a world where everyone can live with dignity and free from fear.”
In a separate email exchange shared by Bezos, a customer argued that “all lives matter.”
“I support this movement we see happening all around us, and my stance won’t change,” Bezos wrote in response.
The back-and-force comes amid mass protests around the U.S. over the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in Minneapolis after a now-fired officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.
The officer is facing second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges. Three other officers at the scene were charged with aiding and abetting after being fired.