The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has long had “Affinity Groups” that its members from “underrepresented and marginalized communities” could join in order to connect with others from similar backgrounds. These club-like bodies have also served as sounding boards for the Academy’s leadership during challenging times for the organization, and, in turn, the organization’s leaders have provided a support system for affinity groups during challenging times for their communities.
On Friday, in an email obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy notified its roughly 11,000 members — some 2,000 of whom already belong to at least one Affinity Group — that its seven existing Affinity Groups (Asian Affinity Group, Black Caucus, Disability & Accessibility, Indigenous Alliance, La Agenda, LGBTQ+ Coalition and MENA & WANA Alliance) will now be joined by two others: a Jewish Heritage Affinity Group and a Women’s Affinity Group.
The additions came about following proposals that were made to, and ultimately approved by, the Academy’s board of governors’ Equity and Inclusion Committee, which oversees all of the Affinity Groups, and which is currently chaired by the actor Lou Diamond Phillips.
The Jewish Heritage Affinity Group will be co-chaired by Howard Berger (makeup artists/hairstylists branch) and Steven Raphael (marketing/public relations branch). And the Women’s Affinity Group will be chaired by Edie Ichioka (film editors branch).
It is reasonable to assume that the Jewish Heritage Affinity Group, had it existed at the time, would have been consulted about something like the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ exhibit about Hollywood’s Jewish founders, which was criticized upon its unveiling and was soon thereafter amended.
The full communication appears below.
* * *
Dear Academy members,
Academy Membership Affinity Groups are designed to bring together members from shared backgrounds and affinities, with a focus on underrepresented and marginalized communities. These groups are an extension of the Equity and Inclusion Committee of the Board of Governors and provide guidance on matters related to Academy membership, awards, and programming.
They also build community, elevate voices and promote networking, education and engagement opportunities for our membership. Affinity Group participation has grown significantly in the last few years, with close to 2,000 Academy members now involved in at least one group.
Following is a list of Affinity Groups, including contact information [redacted by THR].
Asian Affinity Group – chaired by PJ Raval (Documentary Branch).
Black Caucus – chaired by Taura Stinson (Music Branch).
Disability & Accessibility– chaired by Joshua Jason (Marketing and Public Relations Branch).
Indigenous Alliance – chaired by Chelsea Winstanley (Producers Branch).
La Agenda – chaired by Carlos López Estrada (Directors Branch); vice-chaired by Carla Gutierrez (Documentary Branch).
LGBTQ+ Coalition – co-chaired by Andrew Ahn (Directors Branch) and Kimberly Reed (Documentary Branch).
MENA & WANA Alliance – chaired by Academy Governor Haifaa al-Mansour (Directors Branch).
This year, the Academy will be introducing two new Affinity Groups to serve our members. More details will be shared in the coming weeks, but you can reach out to [redacted] if you are interested in participating in either.
Jewish Heritage Affinity Group – co-chaired by Howard Berger (Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch) and Steven Raphael (Marketing and Public Relations Branch).
Women’s Affinity Group – chaired by Edie Ichioka (Film Editors Branch).
Representation among the membership and industry will continue to evolve, as will the Affinity Groups. All proposals for future groups will be reviewed by the Equity and Inclusion Board Committee.
Please feel free to reach out to [redacted] with any questions or if you’d like to get more involved. We look forward to working with you.
Thank you,
The Academy
