American Airlines allows crew to wear ‘BLM’ pin, sparking backlash from some members

American Airlines on Sunday announced that it will allow their flight attendants to wear “Black Lives Matter” pins on their uniform while on duty. In addition, the company is also working to design its own pin that will show its symbolic support of a diverse and inclusive work environment.

“Clearly we live in a time where it is so important to have a dialogue about this important issue of racism in our society and try to find common ground,” AA wrote in a company-wide announcement. “American is truly committed to having an inclusive culture that is welcoming to all and a reflection of our country and world.”

“This is why American is so committed to creating a more tolerant and diverse team,” AA said. “Through our partnership with American’s office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, we are continuing to work through an overall plan for addressing these issues in our workplace.”

AA said a symbolic way to show that support is a uniform pin, the design of which will be done by AA’s Black Professional Network.

But the announcement has prompted pushback from some of American’s staffers who have relatives who are police officers and view BLM as an anti-police movement.