The Rainbow PUSH/Citizenship Education Fund (CEF) Automotive Project released its Automotive Diversity Scorecard at the Global Automotive Summit in Detroit, enabling automotive manufacturers’ leadership teams to self-evaluate the company’s diversity.
“We have seen many automakers take big steps forward with their diversity programs as they have come to truly see the value of diversity and inclusion programs,” says Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, founder and president of Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
This year, for the first time in the history of the scorecard, no automaker received a single red grade, which typically indicates deficient diversity and inclusion programs. Meanwhile, General Motors and Toyota both received green grades in four areas — the most among the 12 automakers surveyed this year.
“We cannot afford to be complacent — our work is far from being done,” says Jackson . “The automotive industry and the communities it serves would benefit from having more Blacks in the C-suites and as owners of dealerships. Our advertising agencies need larger budgets and, of course, we need to make sure minorities play a meaningful role in the emerging electric vehicle supply chain.”
The scorecard provides the Rainbow PUSH/CEF Automotive Project with an aggregate report summary to serve as a resource for consultation on industry best practices. Each OEM receives a confidential survey that addresses six diversity measurements and upon completion it is returned to Rainbow PUSH/CEF for evaluation. Diversity focus areas are employment, advertising, marketing, procurement, dealer development, and philanthropy.
The scorecard reflects the most visible indicators of an OEM’s commitment to ethnic diversity and is based on OEMs’ confidential surveys.
Scoring categories are:
Green — Automotive company demonstrating best practices for ethnic diversity using RPC/CEF criteria: disclosure of goals, initiatives, and dollar investments with some accountability and growth.
Yellow — Some evidence of ethnic diversity is visible (goals, initiatives, accountability). Not all dollar investments, key figures, and other scorecard factors were disclosed in the questionnaire or directly to RPC/CEF.
Red — Diversity initiatives and investments were non-existent, not disclosed, or did not provide enough relevant information for scoring; a completed questionnaire was not submitted.
“We are pleased with the responses we received from many of the participating automakers. These are the best scores we’ve seen since the inception of the Diversity Scorecard,” says John A. Graves, chairman of the Global Automotive Summit. “Some companies that initially received a red grade submitted a correction plan to address diversity deficiencies prior to the next Scorecard. I am confident they will meet their goals.”
Participating companies include BMW, Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co., Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Stellantis, Subaru, Toyota, and Volkswagen.
