The grant will enable the creation of "Black Innovation, Invention, and Leadership in Mobility," a multi-channel experience highlighting the contributions of African Americans to the automotive industry
DEARBORN, Mich. , June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Automotive Hall of Fame (AHF), a non-profit organization that honors and celebrates the mobility industry's pioneers and their impact on society has received a generous $500,000 grant from General Motors to launch a new educational program entitled "Black Innovation, Invention, and Leadership in Mobility." This grant enables the AHF to begin developing a multi-channel experience that helps educate the community about Black contributions to the global automotive industry as well as the industry's impact on Black families and communities.
"The Automotive Hall of Fame is extremely grateful to General Motors for this generous grant to launch this important initiative," said Sarah Cook, president, of the Automotive Hall of Fame. "There are many voices that have shaped - and continue to shape - the mobility industry, and we are excited to begin the work to tell their important stories."
Recognizing that the Black community is often underrepresented when telling the automotive industry's history, General Motors has provided the grant to help lift up Black voices and increase awareness of the impact the community has had on the industry. "GM is proud to support the Automotive Hall of Fame as it launches its "Black Innovation, Invention, and Leadership in Mobility" program," said Terry Rhadigan, AHF board member and vice president of Corporate Giving at GM. "AHF's efforts to create and share knowledge will spark social change through general education and promote new learning and career opportunities for our next generation of mobility leaders and influencers."
Program Details
Content development for this program is funded by this grant for one year, and the AHF is targeting a launch date of February 2023. The AHF will utilize both its physical exhibit space and digital capabilities to share the new content. In addition to the exhibit, there will be educational programming for a K-12 audience and an honoree lecture series. AHF is seeking community involvement, as well as additional funding, to bring a robust program to the public.
"We plan to highlight several key aspects of Black contributions that created the industry, including the labor, invention, design, engineering, and leadership that created the modern automotive manufacturing industry said Cook. "The program will explore how mobility, vehicle ownership, and roadways have impacted Black communities in Detroit, throughout the country, and around the world, and will focus on first-hand oral histories of Black leaders, both historic and contemporary."
Kathleen Donald
This gift enabled the hire of Kathleen Donald, vice president of AHF operations and programs. In this newly created role, Donald will lead the reimagination strategy of the AHF, devised by the board of directors and Cook. The "Black Innovation, Invention, and Leadership in Mobility" program is the first piece of the reimagination initiative, and Donald will collaborate with AHF's new curator, Dr. Micala Evans, on this program.
Dr. Micala Evans
GM's grant also enabled AHF to hire an esteemed scholar of African American Studies and an experienced researcher and curator in African American communities, Dr. Micala "Cila" Evans, Ph.D. Dr. Evans will help to create a holistic narrative about African Americans and mobility, and she will be responsible for defining, collecting, and managing the assets for this educational program.
"I am thrilled to have been chosen as curator for this impressive initiative to keep stories of African American discovery and achievement alive, from the early days of the horseless carriage to the modern era of mobility," said Dr. Evans. "While we will celebrate these stories in the context of their own time and place, we will also relate them to the here and now and beyond. We want to bring this vision of progress to our international inductee community, our museum visitors, students/young adults, policymakers, and a more general global audience."
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Over the past year, the AHF established a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, led by Hiram Jackson, AHF board member and chief executive officer of Real Times Media. "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is a priority for the Automotive Hall of Fame. Not just as it relates to inductees but on our board, in our staff, and in the programming we create," said Jackson. "I won't pretend that we're proud of our past around diversity. But what I can assure you is that the way forward will be starkly different. This initiative is just an exciting first step of many demonstrating the organization's commitment to ensure people of color are properly represented as part of the fabric of the automotive industry."
About the Automotive Hall of Fame
The Automotive Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization that celebrates the mobility industry's pioneers and their impact on society by capturing individuals' stories, passion, and innovative spirit to engage and inspire the mobility industry's future workforce. Founded in 1939, the Automotive Hall of Fame has honored nearly 800 individuals from around the world, who have impacted and influenced the automotive and mobility industries. The Automotive Hall of Fame is located at 21400 Oakwood Blvd in Dearborn, Michigan, and is open to the public Thursdays – Sundays, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. You can also visit the Automotive Hall of Fame online at automotivehalloffame.org or on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Media Contact
Shelly Otenbaker, Automotive Hall of Fame, 1 248-506-6696, [email protected]
SOURCE Automotive Hall of Fame
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