“We should have done more and earlier,” acknowledges the statement.
In response to a letter on Monday from more than 100 public relations firms demanding that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association provide “explicit plans” for “transformational change”, the organization behind the Golden Globe Awards issued a statement emphasizing that it understood the message.
Currently composed of 87 LA-based journalists for overseas vehicles, HFPA said: “As a demonstration of our commitment, the board unanimously approved a plan to increase membership to a minimum of 100 members this year, with the requirement at least 13 percent of the members are black journalists. “
In addition, he promised: “We are committed to making the necessary changes in our organization and in our industry as a whole. We also recognize that we should have done more and earlier.” He added: “While we recognize that this is a long-term process, we will continue to be transparent, provide updates and have confidence in our ability to change and restore confidence in our organization and at the Golden Globes.”
The full text of the declaration appears below.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association reiterates that we are committed to making the necessary changes in our organization and in our industry as a whole. We also recognize that we should have done more and earlier. As a demonstration of our commitment, the board unanimously approved a plan to increase membership to a minimum of 100 members this year, with the requirement that at least 13 percent of members be black journalists. We also continue to work on the comprehensive initiatives announced last week. Our external legal advisor has already started working on how to effectively implement transformational changes in our organization, including a comprehensive review of our governance and code of conduct, and Dr. Shaun Harper, our new strategic diversity advisor, has identified the following workflows :
-Analyze policies, practices, member recruitment activities and member selection processes from the perspective of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI);
-Facilitate 20 quarterly trainings over the next five years on DEI topics ranging from implicit and explicit prejudice to strategically diversify members, evolving the Association with changing demographic data, welcoming black members into an inclusive environment and ensuring equitable paths for leadership for female members to name a few;
-Facilitate presentations to DEI’s strategic partner organizations in journalism and entertainment, and develop a strategy to sustain these mutually rewarding relationships over many years;
– Conducting interviews with members to invite their opinions on the development and strategic update of the objectives of the DEI. Also gather qualitative insights from industry leaders about what they think the Association should do to become more just, diverse and inclusive; and
-Systematically evaluate and make transparent the Association’s progress year by year in the goals and commitments of the DEI.
We also started to meet with various advocacy groups and racially diverse partners to gather their contributions and hear their views on the further reforms that need to take place. While we recognize that this is a long-term process, we will continue to be transparent, provide updates and have confidence in our ability to change and restore confidence in our organization and at the Golden Globes. In doing so, we invite others from the Hollywood community to join us in promoting racial equality in our industry.