July 6th 2023.
The DEI space in Hollywood is experiencing a massive shift as four prominent Black women executives have stepped down or been dismissed from their roles in three major corporations. On June 20th, news broke that Disney's Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Vice President Latondra Newton would be leaving her position after six years. Variety reported that she is looking forward to joining a corporate board as well as spending more time with her self-owned creative company.
Eight days later, Netflix's Head of Inclusion Strategy Vernā Myers announced that she would be stepping down from her role in September to return to her consulting company, The Vernā Myers Co. During her five-year tenure, Myers wrote Netflix's first inclusion report, which provided representation stats for the company's workforce and initiatives. She will be replaced by Wade Davis, the NFL’s first LGBT inclusion consultant.
On June 30th, Warner Brothers Discovery made headlines when they laid off Senior Vice President of North America Diversity Equity and Inclusion Karen Horne. Horne was a Diversity and Inclusion pioneer and creative pipeline builder who had been recognized for her work in the field. The same day, news broke that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences would be losing its Executive Vice President of Impact and Inclusion Jeanell English, who designed and implemented the Academy Film Accelerator.
The departures of these DEI execs have sparked a lot of commentary on social media, including a post from Hollywood star Yvette Nicole Brown. People are both heartbroken and debating the impact of the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action in college admissions. At BE’s Chief Diversity Officer Summit & Honors, Fidelity Investments’ Head of Office of Diversity & Inclusion Wendy John commented on the ruling, saying it could empower individuals in organizations to ask questions about existing programs.
The DEI space is currently in a state of flux, and as we witness the departure of these talented individuals, we will be waiting to see what the future holds.
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