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Bankrupting
Diversity?
Over 40
years of
corporate
progress
in
diversity
is being
dismantled
in the
GM
bankruptcy
filing.
And yet
the
media is
ignoring
the most
important
aspect
of
General
Motors'
role in
our
community.
GM
SHOULD
BE
RUNNING
THE FEDS
Not The
Other
Way
Around
Editorial
By Randi
Payton
President
& CEO/On
Wheels
Media
 The
GM Press
conference
with
reporters
on
Monday
reflects
the
limited
view the
media
and the
administration
have
regarding
the
enormity
of the
social
role
General
Motors,
Chrysler
and Ford
play in
our
lives.
They
have
primarily
focused
on the
numbers,
leaving
out the
social
leadership
activities
of the
Detroit
automakers.
They
complain
vigorously
when
major
industries
demonstrate
their
only
mission
is to
profit
from and
not give
back to
the
community,
but
ignore
the
corporations
that
have
taken on
decades
of
social
leadership.
What
about
the tens
of
thousands
of
charitable
causes,
businesses,
educational,
and
community
activities
where
the Big
Three
have
been
leading
corporate
role
models?
In many
cases
they
have set
the
example
for
other
corporations
as well
as the
federal
government.
This
nation
needs
more
corporations
that
support
society
and
promote
business
development
and
diversity
as the
Big
Three
have
done.
While
most of
our
taxpayer
dollars
go to
administering
the
government
with
very
little
reaching
social
programs
and
small
businesses,
the
contributions
of the
Detroit
Three
exemplify
the
actions
of
concerned
corporate
citizens.
Some of
the
largest
industries
that
profit
from
American
consumers,
among
them
entertainment,
sports,
medicine,
insurance,
technology
and
electronics,
have no
match
for the
thousands
of
programs
supported
and
administered
by the
Big
Three.
Their
reach
touches
education,
the
arts,
and
community
organizations,
as well
as small
and
minority
businesses.
Very few
other
industries
have
minority
supplier
goals,
federal,
state
and
local
governments
included.
The auto
manufacturers
long ago
set
quotas
to do at
least
five
percent
of
business
with
minority
suppliers,
media
and
dealers.
Meanwhile,
many
federal,
state
and
local
governments
are
still
debating
the
issue.
Because
of their
example,
foreign
based
auto
companies
were
forced
to
follow
the
example
of the
Big
Three in
doing
business
with
minorities
in the
United
Stares.
After
all,
minorities
buy 22%
of all
new
vehicles
annually.
Yet, in
some
industries
where
minorities
may
purchase
30 to 50
percent
of the
products
and
services,
very few
companies
practice
diversity
in
hiring.
While
Detroit
provided
billions
of
dollars
in
scholarships,
grants
and
sponsorships
to tens
of
thousands
of
students,
schools
and
organizations,
the feds
allowed
private
student
loan
companies
to
saddle
students
and
parents
with
high
interest
loans
and
deceptive
loan
practices.
Many of
these
students
and
parents
will be
in debt
for
years to
come.
What
will
happen
to these
programs
under
the new
managements
of GM
and
Chrysler?
Do we
expect
the
government
to be as
proactive
in
understanding
the
needs of
all
customers?
The
Detroit
three
set the
example
of how
American
companies
should
include
all
races of
people
in its
operations
and
business.
Now,
with the
bankruptcy,
all of
this
good is
being
ignored.
The
government
and
media
have a
limited
view of
the
social
contributions
of the
Big
Three.
When the
numbers
are
added
up,
taxpayers
will
lose
more
from the
dismantling
of
Chrysler
and
General
Motors
than we
stand to
gain.
The
social
role of
these
companies
stimulated
more tax
revenue
in local
and
national
economies
than the
little
profit
downsizing
and the
new
management
strategies
plan to
accomplish.
Yes, GM
and
Chrysler
may
profit
under
the
stripped
down
structure,
but what
will
happen
to the
nation's
number
one
corporate
citizens'
support
of the
community?
Ignoring
the vast
social
and
business
networks
these
companies
have
built
over the
last 100
years
will
have far
greater
repercussions
on the
economy
than we
can
imagine.
In the
long
term,
taxpayers
will
spend
far more
to fill
the
enormous
void
these
corporations
leave
behind.
If we
were all
informed
of the
important
social
role of
these
companies,
we may
have
thought
twice
about
the
repercussions
of
bankruptcy.
In this
instance,
many
would
rather
GM
manage
the
federal,
state
and
local
governments
to get
them
contributing
more to
society.
Randi
Payton
President
& CEO
On
Wheels
Media
www.onwheelsinc.com
On
Wheels
Media is
a
multi-media
communications
company
that
produces
print,
digital,
broadcast
and
events.
Publications
include
African
Americans
On
Wheels,
Latinos
On
Wheels,DECISIVE
and
DECISIVE
Latino
magazines.
Described
as the
"Best
Source
for
Cultural
and
Consumer
News"
the
magazines
are
distributed
in more
than 100
newspapers
throughout
the
United
States
and
digitally
online
with a
readership
of 8
million.
The
company
also
produces
events
and
launched
the
first
automotive
magazine
web site
www.onwheelsinc.com
in 1995.
On
Wheels
Media
established
the
Edward
Davis
Education
Foundation,
a
non-profit
organization
to
provide
scholarships,
internships
and
mentoring
to
students
pursuing
careers
in
marketing
and
communications.
Visit
www.onwheelsinc.com
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