Golden Globes announces reforms following HFPA diversity issues
A letter from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association board details a plan to admit at least 20 new members in 2021.
After a year of intense scrutiny and controversy, the Golden Globe Awards have finally announced reform following revelations of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s glaring diversity issues.
As theGrio previously reported, the HFPA has been under a cloud of controversy since the beginning of last year’s awards season. From the sizable number of Black snubs when the nominations were announced to the alarming discovery that the organization has zero — yes, zero — Black members, the problems surrounding the HFPA became bigger than the Golden Globes they distribute. Even after the awards show broadcast, TIMES UP blasted not only the HFPA, but NBC as well for its response.
Now, after loud demand from fellow industry members and fans alike, the Globes have finally announced their reforms.
According to Deadline, the HFPA has announced its plans to reform, explaining they want to reaffirm their “commitment to bringing Black and racially diverse members” into the organization. The adjustments are divided into five different “Foundational Pillars of Change” explained in a letter from the board members: Accountability, Membership, Inclusion, Good Governance, Ethics and Transparency. The letter dives deep into each pillar, detailing how they plan to make effective change under each section.
Read More: HFPA pledges 13 percent Black membership after firms tell clients to boycott Golden Globes
“These past few months have been difficult for us all, and we appreciate your understanding and patience through this transformative period in our industry,” the letter reads. “For the past 60 days, we have worked hard to come up with a plan of action — culling ideas from the members as well as outside entities — to present a cohesive, comprehensive proposal. We have engaged in much-needed, deep introspection with the help and guidance of our outside advisors, experts in diversity and inclusion, and our media partners. Together, we have created a roadmap for transformational change in our organization.”
Specifically addressing the membership concerns, the letter details the HFPA’s plans to “admit at least 20 new members in 2021, with a specific focus on recruiting Black members and building an environment to allow for their success, and with a goal of increasing the membership by 50% over the next 18 months.”
Read More: Golden Globes’ HFPA commits to having ‘Black journalists in organization’ after backlash
The letter concludes with board members emphasizing that these are just “first steps” in the overall plan for change at the organization. “We want to be clear – these outlined changes are just the first steps in the long journey ahead,” it reads. “We must meet this moment, knowing that if we join together in support, we can become a better organization and, with hard work, an example of diversity, transparency and accountability in the industry for others to follow, just as our founders imagined almost 80 years ago.”
You can read the letter in full, as well as the report by Deadline, here.
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