Irvdit: Rodgers W m. Foster
4
(From left)
IK Frank
Fountain, D aim lerC hryslers senior vice president o f governm ent affairs; Dr. D ieter Zetsche, D aim lerC hrysler's C E O ; R a ndi Payton, president
a n d C E O o f O n Wheels, Inc., a n d D ebra N elson, a D aim lerC hrysler senior manager.
On January 11, 2001, we held our Fifth Annual Urban
Wheel Awards in Detroit. The awards were held during the
press preview week for the North American International
Auto Show (NAIAS), unquestionably the most influential
car and truck show in the world. The purpose of the Urban
Wheel Awards is to celebrate diversity in the auto industry,
and to recognize the efforts of those companies and indi
viduals who are practicing diversity in their work environ
ments.
The Chrysler PT Cruiser was selected as "Vehicle of the
Year." On hand to accept the award was DaimlerChrysler
CEO Dieter Zetsche. General Motors was named
"Company of the Year," and CEO Rick Wagoner was there
to accept the award. Sitting in the audience were CEOs,
presidents and executive vice presidents of Volkswagen,
Jaguar, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Audi, GMAC and oth
ers. There is no other event hosted by any other group that
draws together so many powerful people in the industry
than the Urban Wheel Awards.
These executives came to network, to learn and to share
and to reaffirm their commitment to inclusion. They came
to gain greater awareness of diversity. It is here where we
celebrated our achievements and admitted our shortcom
ings. It is in this setting that we recognized those who have
gone above and beyond, and reflected on what more we
need to do.
You would think that such a prestigious event, with such
a positive mission, would be newsworthy. But in an era
African Americans On Wheels
where shootings and drug raids in the African-American
communities make front-page news in mainstream media,
it's no wonder that an event of this magnitude drew little
attention in the mainstream press or media.
That's why we, as a black-owned company, remain com
mitted to you. As we move deeper into 2001, we do so with
you in mind, knowing that if we were not here, a key part of
the automotive picture would be missing. And in an era
where many black-owned companies are merging with
mainstream partners, we stand committed to our roots.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream, and so do we.
We are proud of our heritage and what we offer to you, our
readers, and the auto industry.
So as we celebrate another Black History Month, we do
so as the only African-American owned multimedia com
pany that continues to build bridges between you and the
multi-billion dollar automotive industry.
Congratulations to all of our 2001 Urban Wheel Award
recipients. And a special expression of gratitude to all of the
African-American men and women who continue to break
new ground for all of us in the auto industry, including
those companies and individuals who are working to create
an environment of inclusion for all.
unow.onwheclsini.com