The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has sent a letter to members on Friday, affirming their commitment to diversity following the departure of several Black executives from the organization.
The letter, obtained by IndieWire, is attributed to the Academy’s CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang. Addressing a recent spike in Black Hollywood executives leaving their positions, the letter states the Academy’s “commitment” to expanding diversity and inclusion efforts in the organization.
“We have heard from some of you who have asked about our Academy DEAI programs as these efforts across our film community and other industries have been called into question. In addition, a number of Black executives in Hollywood have exited their roles, including within the Academy, and we recognize the concern this creates,” the letter reads. “Given all of this, we want to reiterate, in the strongest possible terms, the Academy’s commitment to not only continuing, but expanding our efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within our organization and the film industry at large. We have made great progress in recent years, and there is still much more work to do.”
An Academy representative confirmed the letter to IndieWire, though the Academy did not share it directly with any press.
On Friday, Shawn Finnie, the Academy’s Executive VP of Member Relations and Awards, exited the organization after nearly a decade. The move attracted attention, as Finnie is the fourth Black employee in a leadership position to leave the organization since July 2022: others include chief operations officer Christine Simmons; vice president of global relations and member outreach Patrick Harrison; and vice president of impact and inclusion Jeanell English, whose exit came as part of a larger wave of Black female executives in the entertainment industry leaving their positions, including execs at Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix, and Disney.
The letter does not mention the specific executives who have left the Academy by name. In regards to current diversity in the organization, it states that “of our current Academy executives at or above the Vice President level, 71 percent identify as women and 42 percent identify as coming from an underrepresented ethnic or racial community.” The letter also states that of the 2023 new membership class 40 percent are women, 34 percent “identify as coming from an underrepresented ethnic or racial community,” and 52 percent come from outside the United States; full diversity metrics for the organization’s entire membership body were not provided.
Variety first obtained the letter from the Academy. Read the full letter below.
Dear Academy members,
We have heard from some of you who have asked about our Academy DEAI programs as these efforts across our film community and other industries have been called into question. In addition, a number of Black executives in Hollywood have exited their roles, including within the Academy, and we recognize the concern this creates.
Given all of this, we want to reiterate, in the strongest possible terms, the Academy’s commitment to not only continuing, but expanding our efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within our organization and the film industry at large. We have made great progress in recent years, and there is still much more work to do.
Of our current Academy executives at or above the Vice President level, 71 percent identify as women and 42 percent identify as coming from an underrepresented ethnic or racial community. And in our 2023 new member class, 40 percent identify as women, 34 percent identify as coming from an underrepresented ethnic or racial community, and 52 percent come from outside the United States.
In addition:
We have expanded our Employee Resource Groups, evolved our DEAI-focused recruiting and hiring initiatives, and continued to grow our People and Culture Department.
Our talent development programs that focus on traditionally underrepresented voices in film now extend from K-12 through mid-career initiatives.
Our Inclusion Standards formally go into effect this awards year.
Aperture, our Membership Guidance program, will continue to drive diversification across all membership branches.
Our Academy Museum continues to program (and now travel) exceptional and diverse exhibitions and screenings that contextualize and challenge dominant narratives around cinema.
Moving forward, we remain committed to continuing our global engagement efforts, expanding our work with our Member Affinity Groups, and exploring additional ways to empower our employees.
Our DEAI-focused work is a continuous journey that requires sustained attention, commitment, and resources across Academy departments. We will be looking for additional ways to accomplish these efforts, and we are firmly committed to the process.
On behalf of the Academy, thank you so much for your support. We look forward to continuing this important conversation.
Bill Kramer and Janet Yang
