Google Removed Cultural Events from Calendar

Google Calendar Removes Default Cultural Observances

Google has altered its calendar functionality, resulting in the removal of several culturally significant events from being automatically displayed.

Previously listed observances that are no longer shown by default include Black History Month and Pride Month.

Further Events Removed

The changes extend beyond these two events. Jewish Heritage, Indigenous People’s Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Hispanic Heritage Month have also been removed from the default calendar view.

Madison Cushman Veld, a representative from Google, verified these adjustments to TechCrunch. She stated that the application was updated in the middle of 2024 to reflect only public holidays and national observances as listed on timeanddate.com.

Scalability Concerns Cited

According to the spokesperson, the initial practice of manually adding a diverse range of cultural moments across numerous countries proved unsustainable.

“The Calendar team began manually incorporating a wider array of cultural events in many countries globally some time ago. Feedback indicated that certain events and countries were omitted, and consistently maintaining hundreds of such moments on a global scale was not feasible,” Veld explained.

Users retain the ability to add these and other important observances to their calendars manually.

Name Change of the Gulf of Mexico

This calendar update follows closely after Google’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” for users within the United States.

This alteration was implemented to align with an executive order issued by the Trump administration.

Broader Trend of DEI Rollbacks

The timing of these changes has drawn attention, coinciding with a broader trend of reduced emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Several major technology companies, including Meta, Google, and Amazon, are currently reassessing or eliminating their DEI programs.

Furthermore, Amazon and Google have modified their 10-K filings to lessen or remove references to DEI efforts.