The automotive industry will gather in Detroit from November 10, 2021, this year to convene the 22nd Rainbow PUSH Annual Global Automotive Summit at 9:00 am – 4:00 p.m. at the Motor City Casino Hotel and Convention Center, which is an initiative of the Citizenship Education Fund. This year’s Summit will attract over 400 automotive executives, entrepreneurs, suppliers, dealers, manufacturers, consumers, government, and elected officials
This year’s theme, Expanding the Minority Opportunities During Electrification, will address potential disparity gaps in the EV supply chain for African American and other minority suppliers, dealers and professionals.
The purpose of the Summit is to facilitate a poignant discussion with the OEMs and minority companies, while focusing on an inclusive strategy. Rainbow PUSH Automotive Project has been at the forefront in solidifying the addition of diverse dealerships throughout the country. In addition, Rainbow PUSH is also responsible for the emergence of several African American advertising agencies of record in the automotive space and the significant gains in C-suite positions.
“Rainbow PUSH is working with automakers to meet advertising, marketing, dealerships, personnel and supplier goals,” said Reverend Jackson, founder and president, Rainbow PUSH Coalition. “We have accomplished so much together, but the best is yet to come, as we push to achieve higher goals.”
Rainbow PUSH will also announce the results of its Automotive Diversity Scorecard, which will be released during the Summit.
The Summit economic platform will begin at 9:00 a.m., with Marc Bland, chief diversity officer, IHS-Market, the automotive industry’s leading information source, will delve into the statistics, trends and sales analysis.
The Summit economic framework of auto corporate responsibility will be analyzed through a social justice lens by distinguished panelists at 9:30 a.m.: Bankole Thompson – Editor-in-chief and dean, The Pulse Institute and Op-ed columnist, The Detroit News; Damon Lester – President, NAMAD; and Maya K. Watson, JD, LLM – Loyola University Chicago Law Health Justice Project.
The ensuing panel will feature robust discussions of industries’ global purchasing leaders with a 10:45 a.m. morning session: Jonathan Jennings – Vice President of Global Commodity Purchasing and Supplier Technical Assistance, Ford Motor Company; Mark Willoughby – Vice President of Purchasing, Honda Development & Manufacturing of America and Robert Young – Group Vice President of Purchasing Supplier Development, Toyota Motor North America.
The noon lunch segment of the Summit will be replete with awards, scholarships and recognition, with Piston Group, the largest African American auto supplier, receiving the Benchmark Award for its leadership, vision, hard work, management and business acumen.
Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., founder and president of Rainbow PUSH Coalition, will address the lunch attendees.
The afternoon sessions will are at 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., with industry leaders: Marissa Hunter, Vice President of Marketing, Stellantis North America; Telva McGruder – Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, General Motors; Quincy Stephens – Head of Diversity, Volkswagen of America; Alison Nelson, Director DEI Strategies & Governance, Ford Motor Company; and Tarshena Armstrong, Director of Diversity Marketing & Development, General Motors.
The community will celebrate Rev. Jackson’s 80th birthday on November 9th at 6:00 p.m. during a reception at Motor City Conference and Hotel Center.
