The organization that hosts the Golden Globes says it is implementing a plan to recruit Black members after being sharply criticized for not having a diverse membership.
LOS ANGELES – The organization that hosts the Golden Globes says it is developing a plan to hire Black members after they came under sharp criticism for a lack of diverse members.
The Hollywood Foreign Media Association said in a statement Friday that an “action plan” is being developed to admit Black members. The group currently has 87 members who are journalists, none of whom are black.
Former HFPA president Meher Tatna told Variety in an interview that the group has not had a Black member in nearly two decades. The Mumbai-born board chairman said she had no recollection of when a Black member had been there, but she says the group will keep trying.
Some include Time’s Up and presenter Sterling K. Brown are among those who have criticized HFPA’s lack of inclusion and diversity. The criticism comes just days before the Globes air live on Sunday.
An HFPA spokesman said he welcomed the opportunity to meet with groups such as Time’s Up and prospective black members interested in joining the group.
“We are fully committed to ensuring that our membership reflects the communities around the world who love film, TV and inspire and educate the artists,” read the HFPA statement. “We recognize the need to bring in Black members, as well as members from under-represented backgrounds, and will work immediately to put in place an action plan to achieve these aims. as soon as possible. ”
Time’s Up targeted the HFPA in a tweet saying “cosmic solution is not enough.” The campaign group also included the hashtag #TimesUpGlobes.
Award-winning presenter Brown posted a picture of Time’s Up on social media with his own criticism.
“For a governing body of a mainstream Hollywood award show that there is such a representation of a vote it shows a level of inconsistency that should not be overlooked,” he said.
Brown said the HFPA needs to do better. He said it was the organisation’s responsibility to show that “its constituency fully reflects the world in which we live.”
“And having a lot of Black presenters doesn’t relieve you of your lack of diversity,” he continued. “It simply came to our notice then. I hope you do. “
The HFPA said it welcomes journalists from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds based in Southern California who cover entertainment for foreign media. The group says its membership is predominantly female and that more than 35% of its members are from non-European countries worldwide.