YouTube is reportedly hiring an executive who has a significant political pedigree. Oona King, a member of Britain’s House of Lords, has announced her decision to take a leave of absence from her position in order to become the global director of diversity at YouTube.
While YouTube has not yet confirmed the hire of King, the politician discussed her career move during an event at the House of Commons. As first reported by the UK’s Evening Standard, She called YouTube “the future of broadcasting” and said her new position is “an amazing opportunity to go where the most exciting ideas are coming from.”
King is no small-time politician. The daughter of an African-American father and a Jewish mother, she became just the second black woman to join Parliament when she was elected in 1997. She has since served in several positions as a member of the left-leaning Labour party.
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By hiring King, YouTube is once again showing how serious it is about welcoming creators of all races, creeds, and backgrounds to its platform. Some of the video site’s most notable strides toward inclusiveness have been a pro-LGBT campaign called #ProudToLove and a more recent series of ads that show YouTube Music subscribers of various ethnic and gender identities.
While discussing her move to YouTube, King cited the monumental Brexit vote from earlier this year. In joining YouTube, King will make a Brexit of her own; she will move to America to work at one of YouTube’s stateside offices.
