'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.

'Auto Trends' Talks With The Black History Maker Steering The Lexus Brand

Dejuan Ross, Lexus U.S. general manager, is posing with the all-new GX. (Photo Credit: Toyota)

When the Lexus brand was birthed by Toyota in 1989, our guest Dejuan Ross, was still in high school. Cadillac, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and BMW were the luxury elites at the time.

Like Lexus, Acura and Infiniti were also launching their luxury nameplates. This was an opportunity for Toyota, Honda and Nissan to move their brands upmarket with the hopes of rivaling the American and European legacy makes.

Decades later, Lexus has done just that. In fact, it has pulled ahead of both Acura and Infiniti, whom both currently lag a flagship coupe and sedan in their portfolio.

SiriusXM's 'Auto Trends' Honors Women's History Month Highlighting Diversity And Equity Advocates

As we honor Women’s History Month, Auto Trends with JeffCars.com highlights Kathy Gilbert and Cheryl Thompson. Both have blazed phenomenal trails while being recognized as champions of diversity in the automotive industry.

According to a 2022 article by CNBC, women currently control approximately $10 trillion in U.S. financial assets. However, when analyzing the automotive industry, this group has been underrepresented historically.

The latest stats by Catalyst.org reveal that women only hold 26 percent of the jobs in the motor vehicle manufacturing field despite accounting for between 40 to 51 percent of registered new vehicle sales when based on ethnicity and traditional household data, according to S & P Global Mobility.

Auto Trends With JeffCars.com Celebrates 7-Year Anniversary Podcasting Older Shows

 

On July 25, 2015, Auto Trends with JeffCars.com, a multicultural automotive program launched as a monthly show on an Atlanta-based FM station. After just two months on the air, the station cancelled the program. 

Immediately thereafter, the program was picked-up by a Phoenix-based AM station as a weekly show. Since that time, the 30-minute weekly show has expanded its reach to SiriusXM's subscriber-based network and several FM radio outlets, becoming the only syndicated multicultural automotive program airing throughout the U.S. and Canada. The high-energy program is also the only multicultural automotive show airing on SiriusXM, the largest audio entertainment group in the U.S with over 34-million subscribers. In fact, for a few years, it was the only automotive program airing on the SiriusXM network.

'Auto Trends' Continues Financial Literacy Month Talking To Two Auto Analysts

 

To tune in to SiriusXM and our FM radio partners this weekend, click here.

An Industry I Have Given My Life To Has Gone Silent Like A Hybrid

This is the paint job of NASCAR's only Black fulltime driver Bubba Wallace, Jr., official Black Lives Matter car, after the sport agreed to ban the Confederate flag.

Dear Automotive Community,

Over the past few weeks, America has been dealt a triple whammy. Our country has had to manage COVID-19, the recession and the recent racial injustices that can no longer be ignored. As Americans, we are no longer in a position to lecture other countries about their human rights injustices, when this country has literally turned a blind eye to the Black community, more specifically Black men who look like me.

The industry, which I have invested my life in, has literally switched into hybrid mode - being as silent as a mouse. Unlike with COVID-19, almost every automaker wanted to show the world how they were committed to fight the virus. Most automakers adjusted their advertising to reflect the mood of America, while others offered 'Car Mortgages' and deferred payments to let Americans know, as many were sheltered in place, and unable to work, sending the message we are here for you. Some car companies converted segments of their manufacturing plant to build ventilators, while others lent out vehicles to essential workers. The automotive community showed their compassionate side, as well as their financial commitments.

Auto Diversity Guru Talks Car Sales Based On Race, Sexual Orientation And Gender On ‘Auto Trends’

Marc Bland, who is the vice president of diversity and inclusion of the Michigan-based data mining organization IHS Markit, is one of the leading authorities in the auto industry whose focus is on targeting diverse groups.