Google has quietly removed cultural events such as Black History Month, Pride Month, and Jewish Heritage from its default calendar, sparking concerns over the company's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. The move, which was confirmed by a Google spokesperson, has raised eyebrows amidst a broader trend of Big Tech companies reassessing or eliminating DEI programs.

According to Google, the decision to remove these events was made in mid-2024, with the calendar reverting to show only public holidays and national observances listed on timeanddate.com. A Google spokesperson attributed the change to the challenges of manually maintaining hundreds of cultural moments globally, citing feedback that some events and countries were missing. However, users can still manually add these important moments to their calendars.

The removal of cultural events from Google's default calendar has sparked concerns over the company's commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion. This move comes on the heels of Google's decision to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America" for users in the U.S., in accordance with the Trump administration's executive order. While the timing of these changes is unclear, they have raised questions about the tech giant's priorities and values.

The broader context of Google's calendar update is particularly noteworthy, as it coincides with a trend of Big Tech companies reassessing or eliminating DEI programs. Meta, Google, and Amazon have all announced changes to their DEI initiatives, with the latter two companies adjusting the wording in their 10-K filings to remove or reduce mentions of DEI. This shift has sparked concerns over the long-term impact on diversity and inclusion efforts in the tech industry.

Industry experts and advocates have expressed concerns that the rollback on DEI efforts could have far-reaching consequences, including a decline in diversity hiring and a lack of representation in the tech industry. As Big Tech companies continue to reassess their DEI programs, it remains to be seen how these changes will impact the industry's commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In the meantime, users can still manually add cultural events to their Google calendars, but the removal of these events from the default calendar has sparked a larger conversation about the tech industry's priorities and values. As the industry continues to evolve, it will be important to monitor the impact of these changes on diversity and inclusion efforts.