Systemic racism is a huge and troubling issue, but one Canadian company has been specifically working to fight it for almost a year. In February 2020, Cox Automotive Canada launched its Black Employee Network , encouraging staff and others in the industry to take a stand against racism.
RELATED These 7 auto-related companies are making moves to support BLM What the GM assembly plant really means to the people of Oshawa The company is a global powerhouse, and that makes Cox Automotive Canada’s dedication to rooting out anti-Black and systemic racism, and increasing diversity in its ranks, so important. Maria Soklis, president of Cox Automotive Canada & Brazil since 2015, is blunt about changes the company knew it had to make. The social unrest was too big to ignore.
As the company was assembling its BEN and commencing what it called Real About Race conversations, the BlackNorth Initiative was also gaining steam. Backed by 200 corporate leaders in Canada, including three of the big banks, the organization was running parallel goals to what Cox was already initiating in-house. Recognizing that, Soklis made Cox Automotive Canada the first automotive-industry company to sign that BNI pledge in November of 2020. Hyundai soon followed suit.
Emiliano VoidThis mining for ideas within the organization through ERGs is not new. In 2015, one of Soklis’ first inclusivity initiatives was bringing Women With Drive , originally an American Cox program, to Canada. Like the BEN, it seeks similar input from women who, increasingly, can find themselves leaving an industry that can be difficult to navigate. The resulting empowerment of women is definitely a contributing factor that has made Cox a GTA Top Employer for two years in a row.
drivingdotca 😂 oh ffs ... fk off with this garbage
drivingdotca Last I heard buying a car involves: Making car payments You either can or you can’t. The only colour that matters is green
drivingdotca Does anyone realize if Canadians were not kind people there would be no immigrants in this country. Show me the racism. Examples. Don’t bring American problems here !!
drivingdotca I’ve experienced racism and sexism. Who cares about my story?
drivingdotca We could call this the Black Cox program.
drivingdotca No more white cars ?