*Atlanta, Georgia – In honor of Black History Month, “Auto Trends with JeffCars.com” is highlighting two pioneers, who unknowingly found themselves blazing trails in the automotive industry. Both are barrier breakers. Both held positions in their respective fields that were normally reserved for White males.
And, at points during their corporate careers, both spent more time accumulating airline travel miles for their jobs than they did racking up miles on their odometers. Since retirement, both, who are now in their 60s, aren’t slowing down. In fact, both of our trailblazers are still literally in the driver’s seat, shifting into third gear.
Kathy Jackson – Airing February 9
Kathy Jackson covered the automotive beat for 21 years. She was one of the first Black women in the industry to work for the respected magazine, Automotive News. Throughout the years, in many of Jackson assignments, she has not only blazed trails for Black women, but for minorities and White women too. While working for Automotive News, she lived both in and outside of the U.S., covering Europe, Asia and U. S. automakers. Jackson has not only served in the role as a reporter, but she was the editor of Automotive Marketer, a subsidiary of Automotive News for several years.
Since her retirement from covering autos in 2010, there has been no other Black woman who has garnered the respect of the auto industry. In an insightful discussion, the former reporter, talks about how she used her double minority status being Black and a woman to her advantage, gaining respect in the industry, when some executives wanted to undermine her credibility. This show airs on Friday, February 9.
James Colon – Airing February 16 (Show One) And February 23 (Show Two)
James Colon has been the only minority, which includes women, too, to the hold the title of vice president of sales, for both the Lexus and the Toyota division. In a two-part conversation, Colon, who has transitioned to the world of entrepreneurship, after working 36 years for the Asian automaker, talks about his defining moment in corporate America that forced him to find his voice, after receiving a phone call at work from his mom. This moment, where he felt somewhat powerless, changed the trajectory of his career. In a captivating conversation, Colon shares such a relatable, but personal moment, that we rarely hear a person of his stature reveal publicly. Colon also talks about the new role he’s been preparing for all of his life that would warm his dad’s heat. If his Colon’s dad was alive today, he would see his son’s life as a full circle moment. Show one airs on Friday, February 16, while Show two airs on Friday, February 23.
Tune in to “Auto Trends with JeffCars.com,” on Fridays at 12:00 p.m. ET on SiriusXM Channel 141. Encore broadcasts can be heard on Mondays and Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. ET and 6:00 p.m. ET, respectively. Cruise over to SiriusXM to find out more about free trials and how to listen on your smartphone.
About Jeff Fortson
Jeff Fortson is the host and the executive producer of “Auto Trends with JeffCars.com,” a weekly multi-cultural automotive show, which airs in the both the United States and Canada. He also serves as the editor of JeffCars.com, an educational car-buying website with a new-vehicle pricing guide. Fortson, who has over 25 years of both automotive corporate and automotive retail experience, has penned several extensive car-buying guides for Black Enterprise, Ebony and Essence, three of the premier magazines in the Black community..
In April 2009, Essence recognized him as a “The Top Guru for Sound Car-Buying Advice.” His contributions and articles have also appeared in The Washington Post, Jet, BlackAmericaWeb.com, Eurweb.com and AOL.com. Added to that, he has appeared on such programs as CNN and NPR, serving in the role of an automotive analyst. Furthermore, Fortson uses his copyrighted car-buying clinic, which is housed with the Library Congress, to empower students through his signature traveling dream literacy-empowerment educational in-school modules, involving STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math).
His most recent feature story appeared in the December 2017 issue of Consumers Digest magazine.
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source:
Jeff Fortson, [email protected]
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