The former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association sent an email calling Black Lives Matter a racist movement, according to a report from the Tuesday in the Los Angeles Times.
The former president of the association that distributes the Golden Globe awards, Phil Berk, also described Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, as a “self-proclaimed” Marxist trained “in the e-mail, which the Times reported was sent to members of the press association, staff and his general counsel and the head of operations, Gregory Goeckner.
Berk, who had served eight terms as president of the organization, also shared one article titled “BLM Goes Hollywood” in the email. Berk did not cite the source of the story, but it came from cFreedom Center website by commentator David Horowitz, FrontPage Mag, according to the Times.
The article shared by Berk led to Cullors buying a $ 1.4 million home in California after national outrage and racial injustice protests that took place last summer.
The Golden Globes before this spring’s awards ceremony had been criticized for the lack of nominations this year and historically for black artists. It is part of a critique that has also been made of other awards.
This year’s Golden Globe winners included several black artists, including Daniel Kaluuya for supporting actor for her portrayal of Judas and the Black Messiah, and Andra’s Day for Best Actress in the United States against Billie Holliday. The late Chadwick Boseman also won Best Actor for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
HFPA board members responded openly by denouncing Berk by email.
The HFPA told the LA Times in a statement that “since its inception, the HFPA has been dedicated to establishing cultural connections and better understanding the different backgrounds through film and television. The views expressed in the article distributed by Mr. Berk are those of the author of the article and in no way reflect the views and values of the HFPA. The HFPA condemns all forms of racism, discrimination and hate speech and considers this language and content to be unacceptable. “
The Hill has contacted Black Lives Matter to comment on Berk’s observations.