In this photo taken Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, set builder Charlie Wright works on a giant replica of the BAFTA trophy which will be displayed during the forthcoming BAFTA awards ceremony on Sunday, Feb 14th, in London. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
LONDON (AP) --
The head of the British Academy Film and Television Awards says its annual ceremony does not feature more ethnic minority nominees because the film industry itself is not diverse enough.
Amanda Berry says she supports a peaceful protest against the lack of diversity outside the star-studded event, being held in London on Sunday.
Berry told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that not enough movies are made with diverse talent so "the pool of people to draw award winners from isn't diverse enough." She added that "people can only vote on what they've seen."
Her comments follow a controversy surrounding racial diversity at the Oscars.
Two black actors have been nominated for BAFTAs this year: Idris Elba for best supporting actor and "Star Wars" actor John Boyega for a rising star award.
Pepsi soft drinks in plastic bottles are on sale at a grocery store in New York on Weds., Nov. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)
PepsiCo confirmed Friday that it's ending some of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, even as rival Coca-Cola voiced support for its own inclusion efforts.
In a memo sent to employees, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said the company will no longer set goals for minority representation in its managerial roles or supplier base. The company will also align its sponsorships to events and groups that promote business growth, he said.
Laguarta wrote that inclusion remains important to PepsiCo, whose brands include Gatorade, Lay's potato chips, Doritos, Mountain Dew as well as Pepsi. The Purchase, New York-based company's chief diversity officer will transition to a broader role focused on employee engagement, leadership development and ensuring an inclusive culture, he said.
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last month, U.S. government agencies, companies and schools have rushed to reevaluate policies and programs they adopted with the goal of reducing discrimination against members of minority groups, women and LGBTQ+ people.
Trump ended DEI programs within the federal government and has warned schools to end DEI programs or risk losing federal money.
PepsiCo's rollback came as Coca-Cola reaffirmed support for its DEI efforts.
In its annual report, Atlanta-based Coke warned that its business could be negatively affected if it is unable to attract employees that reflect its broad range of customers.
"Failure to maintain a corporate culture that fosters innovation, collaboration and inclusion โฆ could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business and our future success," the company said.
Coca-Cola has set a goal of having women in 50% of its senior leadership roles by... Read More
