Once again this year, we had a very successful DGA Awards ceremony and I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the nominees and winners for their outstanding directorial achievements during 1999. I would also like to thank all the Guild members and staff who took such an active role in guaranteeing the event's success.

Certainly one of the highlights of the evening was Steven Spielberg's acceptance speech for our DGA Lifetime Achievement Award, previously called the D.W. Griffith Award. When talking about the renaming of that award, Steven eloquently expressed what many of us who were involved in that decision felt: "Someday, a black man or woman will he standing here receiving one of these. We have to constantly put ourselves through these tests, stand in the middle of someone's pain and wonder shouldn't their pain he ours too?" I urge you to take the time to read the complete version of Steven's remarks in this issue.

The DGA is very different today from what it was in 1953 when the D.W. Griffith Award was first presented to Cecil B. Dc Mille. For one thing, in 1953 there were no African-American members in the Guild. Stage manager Frederick Lights joined the Radio and Television Directors Guild in New York during the mid-'5Os and stage manager Wendell Franklin was the first African-American to join the DGA in Los Angeles in 1960. There were only two women members in 1953 Dorothy Arzner who had joined in 1938 and Ida Lupino who had joined in 1950 and only one Latino member. Francisco "Chico" Day was the first to join in1937, the next was AD Victor Vallejo in 1957.

Today, the Guild membership includes thousands of talented women and accomplished individuals from a rich diversity of races and ethnic backgrounds, but we still have along way to go before we achieve our goal of having a level employment playing field for everyone.

I am proud that our Guild has taken an aggressive stand in fighting to improve hiring opportunities for our women and minority members. Among other actions taken, we have for many years put the public spotlight on the deplorable hiring statistics for women and ethnic minorities within our Guild categories. (You can review this information for yourself in the press release section of the DGA website located at www.dga.org)

The Guild also established a Diversity Award to recognize employers who do the right thing in this area, which this year was presented to HBO. We collaborate actively with our sister guilds on this issue whenever possible. For example, I was away recently and DGA Third Vice President Paris Barclay attended a meeting on my behalf between all the guilds and the networks with the U.S. Secretary of Labor concerning the need to make the industry workplace more diversified.

In addition, all Guild members should become familiar with our annually updated Women's Contact List and Ethnic Minority Contact List. The 2000 editions of these important tools in our ongoing battle against the underemployment of women and minorities will be mailed out soon. If you would like to receive additional copies, call the DGA Communications & Public Affairs Department at (310) 289-5333.

It is true that the membership of the Guild has changed a great deal over the decades, and our increasing diversity has helped create a DGA that is stronger than ever before. As we face the great challenges of the decade ahead, it is more important than ever that we celebrate the extraordinary contributions of women and minority members to the Guild and the industry.

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