Golden Globes, NAACP partnering to promote diversity, equity

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the association that hands out the Golden Globe Awards, is partnering with the NAACP to promote more diversity, inclusion and equity in the entertainment industry, USA Today reported on Thursday.

The partnership, called the “Reimagine Coalition,” is a five-year plan that aims to increase diverse representation in the entertainment industry and help create employment opportunities for minorities in the industry.

The organizations are hoping the five-year plan will lead networks, studios, and union guilds to increase their minority employment, as well as supporting scholarships, internships and mentorship programs for minorities seeking a career in the entertainment industry. 

“The African-American experience is one of constantly having to choose between that which is foul versus that which is necessary,” NAACP Hollywood Bureau senior vice president Kyle Bowser told USA Today. 

“While there were many advocacy groups who were rightfully pointing out the deficiencies in the HFPA business model, once we started to talk about using their commitment to change as an inspiration to the entire industry to also consider reform, there was no trepidation at all.”

The HFPA, which is run by Los Angeles-based journalists from various media outlets, was the center of controversy earlier this year after a Los Angeles Times investigation pointed to the lack of racial representation in its membership board, which included no Black people. 

NBC announced in May that it will not air the 2022 Golden Globes ceremony in response to the LA Times investigation. 

Since then, the HFPA has expanded its 87-member rank by 20 percent, accepting 21 members from underrepresented groups. 

HFPA President Helen Hoehne told USA Today that she is eager to see the partnership move beyond the originally proposed five-year plan. 

“We are now asking to come together as an industry and really fix the problem … and we can all work together,” Hoehne said.