'Auto Trends' Kicks Off Black History Month With A Former Rainbow PUSH Automotive Activist: Where Do We Go From Here?

Change agent Glenda Gill (Photo Credit: GG)

Over the past week or so since Trump took office, he has been issuing out nonstop signed executive orders from The White House and Mar-a-Lago like a level 5 tornado tearing through an urban area during a busy workday.

As expected, there have been some immediate casualties, non-life threating injuries, uprooting, angst and mental frustration. Overall, as expected, there has been pure chaos and confusion.

Talking Business: Rainbow PUSH Takes Global Trip With Suppliers To Meet With Asian Automakers

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition led a 13-person delegation to visit leading automotive companies in Japan, last week.  The delegation met with corporate leaders of Toyota, Nissan and Honda at their Japan headquarters, with the goal of building primary trade and business relationships with these automotive companies.  In addition, the trade mission established a significant Japanese network for African-American suppliers through Rainbow PUSH Coalition relationships.

 “The trade mission successfully provided unprecedented access and opportunity to African American businesses with Toyota, Honda and Nissan,” said Rev. Jesse Jackson, president and founder, Rainbow PUSH Coalition.  “We are excited about the opportunity to create mutually beneficial, two-way trade.  More importantly, the executive leadership in Japan and North America are receptive to expanding their supplier base with minority suppliers. ”

Delegation members commented on their trip experience.  John Henderson, CEO of AEL Span LLC, which provides a variety of global supply chain services, said, “This was a high impact series of meetings with top C-Suite executives of Toyota, Honda and Nissan.  We were privileged to be a part of this trip, and we are excited as to how we were received by these companies.  We left with a high level of expectation for opportunities to grow our business with each of them.”  Jeffrey Willis, CEO, Emma Hill Manufacturing stated, “This was a critical and necessary trip that served as an eye opening catalyst for the CEO's of Nissan, Honda, and Toyota to prompt the creation of new and more sustainable partnerships with highly skilled and prepared minority suppliers like those who were in attendance.”

Women's History Month Special: How Rainbow PUSH's Glenda Gill Is Moving the Auto Industry Toward Diversity

If you haven't heard of Glenda Gill before, its time to place her on your radar. She's the quiet storm who steadily works behind the scene, driving the auto industry toward diversity.

Note: In our one-on-one interview Glenda mistakenly quoted an inaccurate number, as it relates to the percentage of vehicles African Americans purchase in the industry. Its actually around 17%.