Following the departure of EVP Shawn Finnie, the fourth Black executive to exit the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in a year, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang sent a letter to members on Friday affirming their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, saying there is “still much more work to do.”
“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,” the letter began. “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.”
Finnie, who served as executive vice president of member relations, global outreach and awards, was the latest Black executive to leave the Academy following chief operations officer Christine Simmons, vice president, global relations and member outreach Patrick Harrison and executive vice president of impact and inclusion Jeanell English.
The high-profile departures mark a troubling trend in the industry, as DEI executives from Warner Bros. Discovery (Karen Horne), Netflix (Vernā Myers) and Disney (Latondra Newton) were all either laid off or resigned this summer.
The Academy’s letter touts that at or above the vice president level, 71% of executives at the organization identify as women and 42% identify as coming from an underrepresented ethnic or racial community.
“Our DEAI-focused work is a continuous journey that requires sustained attention, commitment and resources across Academy departments,” the letter says. “We will be looking for additional ways to accomplish these efforts, and we are firmly committed to the process.”
New diversity requirements for films in the Oscar race take effect starting this year. In order to qualify in the Best Picture category, 2023 films will need to submit a Representation and Inclusion Entry Form (RAISE) that shows they met inclusion and diversity standards in two out of four areas: On-Screen Representation, Themes and Narratives; Creative Leadership and Project Team; Industry Access and Opportunities; and Audience Development.
Read the Academy’s letter to membership, which was first published by Variety, in full 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 award 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
