The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) removed a board member after he allegedly called the Black Lives Matter movement a “racist hate movement.”
“Effective immediately, Phil Berk is no longer a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.,” a statement released by the HFPA on Tuesday said, according to Yahoo! News. The HFPA is responsible for governing and voting for the winners of the Golden Globes.
“The HFPA has dedicated itself to bridging cultural connections and creating further understanding of different backgrounds through film and TV,” the organization said in a statement, adding that his views and values do not reflect those of the HFPA https://t.co/XuzkUu26Wn
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 20, 2021
Philip Berk reportedly sent an email Sunday to the association’s members, its staff and the group’s general counsel and chief operating officer in which he shared an article that criticized the BLM movement and its co-founder Patrisse Cullors, the Los Angeles Times first reported.
The article allegedly referred to BLM as a “racist hate movement” and characterized Cullors as a “self-proclaimed ‘trained Marxist.'” (RELATED: Golden Globes Board To Add 13 Black Members After It Came To Light There Were None On Voting Committee)
The removal of Berk came hours after the HFPA was pressured by NBC to expel the former president of the association.
“NBC strongly condemns Phil Berk’s actions and is calling for his immediate expulsion,” the statement said. “While we continue to await the details of HFPA’s upcoming plan for reform, swift action on this front is an essential element for NBC to move forward with the HFPA and the Golden Globes.”
The HFPA also released its own statement on the expulsion.
“We stand in solidarity with our Black colleagues, artists, journalists and executives who have been hurt or overlooked by the HFPA,” the statement said, Yahoo! News reported. “We are disgusted by the racist rhetoric disseminated by a member yesterday.”
The HFPA recently came under fire after it came to light that out of 87 members on the board, none were black. The committee has since promised to add at least 13 black members, as previously reported.