Twitter Appoints BET C.E.O, Debra Lee as First Black Board Member

Twitter Appoints BET C.E.O, Debra Lee as First Black Board Member

It looks like Twitter has been paying close attention and working to address the numerous complaints about diversity hurled its way.

The Board of Directors of Twitter, Inc. have appointed Chairman of Viacom’s Black Entertainment Television (BET), Debra Lee, as a member of the board effective immediately.

Debra who made the news public on twitter will also serve as chair on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. She is the third woman to hold the position and the first black person to serve on Twitter’s board and will be joining 2 other women including British businesswoman Martha Lane Fox who was appointed to the board last month, along with Hugh Johnston, vice chairman of PepsiCo.

Thrilled to be joining the @twitter board. It's transformed the media and the world like few other things in history (and continues to)!!

— Debra Lee (@IamDebraLee) May 16, 2016

The executive chairman of Twitter, Omid Kordestani, also tweeted a congratulatory message to Ms. Lee, noting in a statement that “Debra’s addition strengthens our Board immensely. She’s a highly respected leader in the media industry with decades of experience, and has a clear passion for Twitter as a service and a company.”

Welcome @IamDebraLee, @BET chair and CEO, to the @twitter board!

— Omid Kordestani (@omidkordestani) May 16, 2016

According to Tech Crunch, Twitter which had all white male directors when the company went public in 2013 has been criticized repeatedly over its lack of diversity, both within its workforce and on its board.

Research shows that 28 percent of internet users on Twitter are black people and 28 percent of Twitter users are Hispanic. The social media platform falls short with just 20 percent of white users.