The African American Automotive Association is commemorating Black History Month by highlighting the significant contributions of African Americans to the automotive industry, celebrating both historical milestones and the ongoing achievements of Black professionals in the field.
This month-long observance serves as a platform to inspire future generations, showcasing the diverse opportunities for African American talent within the automotive sector.
The collage bellow showcases some of the many important African-Americans in our automotive history. Use this to research more about their past and/or current contributions to the automotive industry.
Black History Month Collage Index
Eugene Hertrech Jr. - Automotive Culture Curator
Cheryl “The Lady” Lynn Glass - Race Car Driver
Tommy “Tombo” Bolton - Legendary Motorcycle Drag Racer and Builder
Richard Gadson - Legendary Motorcycle Drag Racer
Melanie Thomas - First African-American Woman Tire Changer in NASCAR
McKinley Thompson, Jr. - First African-American Automotive Designer
Ayesha Coker - Porsche VP of Marketing
Rajo Jack - One of the first African-American Race car Drivers
Leonard W. Miller - Motorsports Pioneer
Antron Brown - First African-American to become NHRA Top Fuel Champion
Linda Cash - Many Management Positions at Ford Motor Company
Emeline King - First African-American Woman Designer at Ford
Jame “Bubba” Smith - Legendary Supercross & Motox Champion
Olabisi Boyle - VP of Product Planning & Hyundai North America
Bari Musawwir - First African-American Monster Truck Driver at Monster Jam
Ralph Gilles - Chief Design Officer at Stellantis
Ed Welburn - Automotive Designer at General Motors
Willy T. Ribbs - First African-American to Race in the Indianapolis 500
Wendell Scott - First African-American to Win a NASCAR Race
C.R. Patterson - Created the First African-American Automobile Company
William Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. - First African-American to Win Multiple NASCAR Races
Lewis Hamilton - Legendary Race Car Driver and Winningest Driver in Formula 1 History