HFPA commits to having 13 percent Black membership

March 16 (UPI) -- The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which presents the Golden Globe Awards, has pledged to increase its membership to at least 100 members and that at least 13 percent of its members will be Black journalists.

The announcement came after the organization was criticized for not having a Black journalist among its members and after 100 PR firms sent a letter demanding that the HFPA make changes to its membership.

"We are committed 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 HFPA said in a statement.

"While we recognize this is a long-term process, we will continue to be transparent, provide updates, and have confidence in our ability to change and restore trust in our organization and the Golden Globes," the organization continued.

The 100 PR firms said in the letter that it will keep its clients away from HFPA events until changes are set into motion.

"To reflect how urgent and necessary we feel this work is, we cannot advocate for our clients to participate in HFPA events or interviews as we await your explicit plans and timeline for transformational change," the letter said.

The HFPA recently stated that it is hiring an independent expert in organizational diversity, equity and inclusion to advise the organization, following the 2021 Golden Globe Awards.