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Byron Allen, along with the leaders of several other Black-owned media ventures, took out a full-page ad in Sunday’s Detroit Free Press that called out General Motors (GM) CEO Mary Barra for not meeting with them and implied that her actions were racist, the paper said.
Allen, founder of Allen Media Group; Roland Martin, CEO of Nu Vision Media, Inc.; Ice Cube of BIG3, Cubevision; Junior Bridgeman of Ebony Media; Todd F. Brown of Urban Edge Networks and HBCU League Pass; Don Jackson of Central City Productions; and Earl “Butch” Graves Jr., president and CEO of Black Enterprise all signed the ad which said Barra dismissed requests to meet “consistently, over time and after multiple requests.”
This collective of Black media entrepreneurs wants GM to commit five percent of its ad budget to Black media, Allen told Detroit Free Press. The ad expresses that under their current budget, “less than 0.5% goes to media companies owned” by African Americans, calling that “horrendous, considering that we as African Americans make up approximately 14% of the population in America, and we spend billions buying your vehicles.”
The men have been trying to meet with Barra for five years. They sent her an email two weeks to which GM’s Chief Marketing Officer Deborah Wahl responded to say she would meet with them in Barra’s place. That is why they have taken this approach. This ad is running only in the Detroit Free Press because that is where GM headquarters are located.
Following George Floyd’s death, Barra sent a letter to all GM employees about making the company an inclusive workspace. However, Allen and the rest said that she needs to follow that up with action.
“You stand on stage, after the death of George Floyd, saying, ‘Black Lives Matter,’ when you have refused to acknowledge us,” their ad states. “The very definition of systemic racism is when you are ignored, excluded, and you don’t have true economic inclusion.”
At the end of the ad, a resolution is offered where there can be a Zoom meeting to resolve the issue, develop a working relationship with Black media, or suggest that Barra resign her position.
GM told Detroit Free Press regarding meeting the men, “GM marketing and advertising executives have met often with Mr. Allen and his team and are committed to continuing to have an open dialogue.” They did not comment on whether there will be a future meeting with Barra or if she will resign.
It is important to note that none of the Black-owned media at the table included companies owned by Black women.