(WXYZ) — The Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn is highlighting the crucial contributions of African Americans to the automotive industry through its Achievement Exhibit, which documents how Black innovators have broken down barriers and helped shape mobility in America.
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The exhibit, which opened in 2023, showcases the success of 19 Black contributors to the field of mobility, spanning from the 1880s to 2022.
"In many cases, African American accomplishments were either blocked or usurped by their white counterparts. There was previously a lot of racism and discrimination," Kathleen Donald, the VP of programs and operations at the Automotive Hall of Fame, said.
The museum undertook extensive research to create the exhibit.
"When we first started on this project, our goal was to simply curate an exhibit and we were told by leaders, by people at the Smithsonian that you couldn't just curate it, nobody had ever done the research. So we did the research, we took on the hard job, and now we're telling the stories," Donald said. "I don't think anybody else is doing that."
The exhibit features pioneering Black-owned equipment manufacturers, engineers, and designers who made significant contributions despite facing systemic barriers.
"When General Motors realized that they needed one person to lead design for their corporation, they chose Ed Welburn, an African American man. The first head of global design for an automotive company was an African American man," Donald said.
This initiative has also prompted the Hall of Fame to identify additional Black innovators who deserve recognition. In a short period, they've added five or six people to their honorees.
"There's individuals that have been on global stages, that are incredibly successful in their career, that have had that pinch me moment and they keep coming back and saying, 'is this real? Am I really going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame?'" Sarah Cook, the president of the Automotive Hall of Fame, said.
The Achievement Exhibit is open Thursday through Sunday at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn. A traveling version is currently visiting libraries throughout southeastern Michigan.
Cook encourages community members to visit and share their knowledge, noting, "A lot of times we have to go to personal archives to really uncover deeper stories."
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