November 15, 2018
Two Oakland University students — Jordan Simmons and Kierstin Smith — were among 21 deserving students awarded more than $165,000 in scholarships for the 2018-2019 school year during the 19th annual Rainbow PUSH/CEF Global Automotive Summit’s Business and Education Awards Luncheon, which was held on Nov. 2 in Detroit.
Simmons, a criminal justice major, and Smith, a psychology major, were awarded $2,500 each. The scholarships were provided by General Motors, which has granted more than $1 million in assistance through Rainbow PUSH-Excel scholarship programs since 2011.
“General Motors Global Corporate Giving has been the difference for several participating students,” said Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., president and founder of Rainbow PUSH Coalition. “Without GM’s generosity, many of these students would be unable to pursue their chosen career paths.”
According to Jackson, the purpose of this year’s Global Automotive Summit was to help guide automotive manufacturers toward implementing specific strategies and initiatives that bolster economic equality for people of color.
“Our presence in the automotive industry is vitally necessary for the advancement of minority suppliers, dealers and other professional vendors,” he said. “We plan to work with automakers to develop concrete goals and timetables, as we collectively define the critical path for ethnic minority growth. With the integration of technology in the automotive industry and advancement of mobility, minority suppliers and automakers must adjust their game plans accordingly.”
The Summit kicked off with a leadership discussion featuring Rev. Jackson and Brian Smith, chief operating officer with Hyundai Motor America. Smith spoke about the ways in which Hyundai is helping ethnic minority suppliers gain better opportunities in procurement, as well as how the automaker is positioned to meet the demand of the growing autonomous vehicle and mobility sectors of the industry.
Separate panel discussions in the areas of minority dealerships, human resources, professional services and advertising and marketing also took place. In addition, the Vice Presidents of Global Purchasing panel featured purchasing executives from Honda North America, Nissan North America, and FCA US LLC.
The panel this year also included three Tier 1 MBE automotive suppliers as co-panelists, each sharing with the gathered audience their experience working in the industry.
“At General Motors, we recognize the power of diversity and the role it plays in sparking ingenuity and creativity at our company,” said Ken Barrett, General Motors Global chief diversity officer. “As we continue to face new challenges and innovative new solutions, we want to ensure a talent pipeline that’s rich of diverse backgrounds and unique perspectives to transform our industry.”
More than 500 automotive executives, entrepreneurs, auto suppliers, auto dealers, manufacturers, consumers, government and elected officials and students were expected to participate in this year’s Summit, which has become the largest auto industry conference for people of color.