Regina King vows to hire 50% women in all upcoming films she produces
It’s been one year since the #TimesUp campaign officially launched but its message and agenda was visibly present at last night’s Golden Globes Award Ceremony.
Charlize Theron and Amber Heard wore Time’s Up ribbons, while stars such as Julianne Moore donned bracelets designed by Oscar-nominated costume designer, Arianne Phillip.
Since last year, actresses and actors have increasingly used their star status to address the systemic inequality, injustices, and violations that have been rampant in Hollywood.
After winning the Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Regina King used her platform to announce the pressing need to improve the gender gap in Hollywood and other industries, despite the orchestra attempting to usher her off stage.
King persisted and pledged in her acceptance speech that she will ensure that all projects she produces will be staffed by 50% women in the next two years.
Regina King makes a vow to ensure that everything she produces will be at least 50% female, and challenges others to do the same #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/qpiDLb4zdI
— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) January 7, 2019
King won for her role as Sharon Rivers in Barry Jenkins’ screen adaptation of the James Baldwin novel If Beale Street Could Talk.
The also thanked Jenkins and his vision for storytelling in her speech, asserting,
“Thank you for your empathy, for telling stories so rich and for giving us a film that my son said when he saw it, it was the first time he really saw himsel“giving us a film that my son said to me when he saw it, that it was the first time he really saw himself.”
Everything @ReginaKing said 🌟🌟🌟
— Reese Witherspoon (@ReeseW) January 7, 2019
YESSSS! Regina King. Yes. Challenge 'em, woman. Challenge 'em. #GoldenGlobes
— Nicole Blades (@NicoleBlades) January 7, 2019
She went on to emphasize the cultural influence actors have in catalyzing change, expressing,
The reason why we do this is because we understand that our microphones are big and we are speaking for everyone. And I just want to say that I’m going to use my platform right now to say in the next two years everything that I produce I am making a vow — and it’s going to be tough — to make sure that everything that I produce — that is 50% women. And I just challenge anyone out there — anyone out there who is in a position of power, not just in our industry, in all industries, I challenge you to challenge yourselves and stand with us in solidarity and do the same.”
In a statement last week, Time’s Up, which aims to address systemic inequality and injustice in the workplace, in its second year, is calling for the number of women in leadership roles throughout all industries to be doubled.
“We created the fund because all people deserve to be safe at work, but safety alone is far from our end goal,” the statement read. “It’s the bare minimum. Sexual harassment stems from an imbalance of power. Issues of workplace safety for women, and especially for women of color, are but a symptom of the power imbalance that plagues nearly every sector. We won’t stop fighting until there is gender balance in leadership and all women have the opportunity to reach their full potential at work.”