Academy Reiterates Commitment to DEI in Letter to Members Following Exit of Black Execs: ‘Still Much More Work to Do’
thewrap.comdeparture 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.
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