After outcry over lack of diversity, HFPA Board to include at least 13 black members

The board of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) said that they will admit at least 13 Black members, following an outcry of the organization’s lack of diversity, reports variety.com.

The board consists of 87 foreign journalists who annually bestow Golden Globe Awards and in a statement, the club said that they plan to grow to at least 100 members, of which 13 percent will be Black.

In a statement on Monday night, the HFPA board committed itself to “making necessary changes within our organization and in our industry as a whole.”

“We also acknowledge that we should have done more, and sooner,” the group said. “As a demonstration of our commitment, the board has unanimously approved a plan to increase membership to a minimum of 100 members this year, with a requirement that at least 13 percent of the membership be Black journalists.”

The move came after a group of Hollywood publicists sent a letter advising clients to avoid HFPA events until the group outlined a plan to change. The 13 percent target matches the Black share of the U.S. population, and the organization risks being unable to hold the Golden Globe Awards if it fails to address the issue to the industry’s satisfaction, reports Variety.

In one of the stories published by The Los Angeles Times on February 21, it has been said that the group has no Black members. The group has long been accused of withholding membership to all but a handful of insiders, who are afforded access to Hollywood junkets.