5 November 2020
{Rich|Abundant} Miller is the author of Dealing: The {Incredible|Amazing|Extraordinary|Unbelievable} Journey of an African American {Car|Vehicle|Automobile|Cars And Truck} {Dealer|Dealership}. Rich Miller {publishes|releases} book {alleging|declaring} {systematic|methodical|organized} {racism|bigotry} in the {auto|car|automobile|vehicle} {industry|market} Rich Miller, {a former|a previous} Lincoln Mercury Ford {dealer|dealership}, {published|released} his book Dealing: The {Incredible|Amazing|Extraordinary|Unbelievable} Journey of an African American {Car|Vehicle|Automobile|Cars And Truck} {Dealer|Dealership} {earlier|previously} this year in the middle of a pandemic to {shed light on|clarify} what he {describes as|refers to as} the {economic|financial} {injustice|oppression} Black {people|individuals} {face|deal with} as {consumers|customers} and
{entrepreneurs|business owners} in the {auto|car|automobile|vehicle} {industry|market}. According to Miller, Black {people|individuals} in the United States {spend|invest} more than $ 50 billion on {new|brand-new} {cars|vehicles|automobiles|cars and trucks} every year. He {said|stated} African Americans {spend|invest} more {money|cash} on {cars|vehicles|automobiles|cars and trucks} than {houses|homes}. {Yet {despite|in spite of|regardless of} having such {extraordinary|remarkable|amazing} {spending|costs} power, Blacks own {very|extremely|really} {few|couple of} {car|vehicle|automobile|cars and truck} {dealerships|dealers}, {roughly|approximately} 270 {as of|since} December 2017 out of 19,284, he {said|stated}, which is less than 1.5% of the {auto|car|automobile|vehicle} {dealer|dealership} market.
| {Despite|In spite of|Regardless of} having such {extraordinary|remarkable|amazing} {spending|costs} power, Blacks own {very|extremely|really} {few|couple of} {car|vehicle|automobile|cars and truck} {dealerships|dealers}, {roughly|approximately} 270 as of December 2017 out of 19,284, he {said|stated}, which is less than 1.5% of the {auto|car|automobile|vehicle} {dealer|dealership} market.
} Born in Barbados and raised in the Bronx, Miller {began|started} {a career|a profession} on Wall Street after {graduating|finishing} from The City College of {New York|New York City} in the early 1980s with a degree in Economics. At that time, he went to {work at|operate at} {a traditional|a conventional|a standard} bank {but|however}, he {said|stated}, {faced|dealt with} racial discrimination that {barred|disallowed} him from {becoming|ending up being} {a licensed|a certified} stockbroker. He {soon|quickly} left the Street to {complete|finish} his MBA at Long Island City College.
As {a business|a company|a service|an organization} school graduate, Miller landed an interview with Ford Motor {Company|Business} and was {offered|provided|used} {a job|a task} on the {spot|area}. He {packed up|evacuated} and {moved to|transferred to|relocated to} Indianapolis to {start|begin} his {career|profession} as what was called an “Owner Relations {Analyst|Expert}” in those days. This {afforded|managed} him {an inside|a within} {look at|take a look at} {the business|business} as his {responsibilities|obligations|duties} {entailed|involved|required} {analyzing|evaluating|examining} the {financial|monetary} {statements|declarations} of Ford’s {dealerships|dealers|car dealerships} and making {recommendations|suggestions} on how the {company|business} {could|might} grow. {Very soon|Soon}, {however|nevertheless}, he grew “tired of making the white {dealers|dealerships} {rich|abundant},” he {said|stated}, and {decided|chose} to {embark on|start} his own journey of owning a franchise.
In January 1990, Miller was accepted into the Ford Minority {Dealer|Dealership} Training Program, {founded|established} and {developed|established} by Reverend Jesse Jackson, Nate Conyers, {one of|among} the {first|very first} Black {car|vehicle|automobile|cars and truck} {dealers|dealerships} in America, {along with|together with|in addition to} his {brother|sibling|bro}, John Conyers, and Mel Farr, {former|previous} football {player|gamer} for the Detroit Lions. The {initiative|effort}’s {goal|objective} was to {give|provide|offer} minorities with the {financial resources|funds} and desire to {become|end up being} {car|vehicle|automobile|cars and truck} {dealers|dealerships} the training they {need|require} to be {successful|effective} in running their own {dealership|dealer|car dealership}, and it {allowed|enabled|permitted} Miller to {eventually|ultimately} {acquire|obtain|get} his own Lincoln Mercury franchise in St. Louis, which he {achieved|accomplished|attained} by the age of 36.
{However|Nevertheless}, in addition to the cyclical nature of {car|vehicle|automobile|cars and truck} sales in the {predominantly|primarily|mainly} Black, less-affluent {area|location} he was serving, Miller {said|stated}, he {also|likewise} {dealt with|handled} the flight of white {clientele|clients|customers} as more Black {people|individuals} {visited|went to|checked out} the {showroom|display room}. He {said|stated} he {also|likewise} {faced|dealt with} {discriminatory|prejudiced|inequitable} practices from credit {lenders|loan providers|lending institutions} who {often|frequently|typically} {wouldn’t|would not} {issue|provide|release} loans to {customers|clients|consumers} with {poor|bad} credit ({the majority of|most of} his Black {patrons|customers|clients}), and {lack|absence} of {support|assistance} from his {corporate|business} {representatives|agents}. In one {conversation|discussion}, he {said|stated}, he even had a white {corporate|business} {rep|associate|representative} make {comments|remarks} about his {need|requirement} to “lighten the {showroom|display room}.” He {said|stated} this {led to|resulted in|caused} his franchise’s {demise|death} in the {Summer|Summertime|Summer season} of 1997.
More than 23 years {later|later on}, Miller {said|stated} that {nothing|absolutely nothing} {has|has actually} {changed|altered}. {Progress|Development} {has|has actually} {completely|totally|entirely} stagnated if not {halted|stopped}. Out of the 270 Black {dealerships|dealers|car dealerships} reported in 2017, by his {estimate|quote|price quote} COVID-19 will cut half of them out of {business|company|service|organization}. When Miller {sent letters|corresponded} to the {top|leading} 10 {automobile|vehicle|car|auto} CEOs, he {said|stated} he did not {receive|get} {answers|responses} from {most of|the majority of} them and {subpar|substandard|below average} {responses|reactions|actions} deflecting the gravity of the {issue|problem|concern} from the others.
In Dealing, Miller not {only|just} shares his experiences {but|however} {offers|provides|uses} Black {consumers|customers} {valuable|important} {information|info|details} on how to {purchase|buy|acquire} {a car|a vehicle|an automobile|a cars and truck} or truck and {avoid|prevent} getting {ripped off|swindled|duped} and {contributing to|adding to} this {injustice|oppression}.
Miller {recommends|suggests|advises} boycotting {selected|chosen|picked} {manufacturers|producers|makers}, picketing {select|choose} {dealerships|dealers|car dealerships}, {organizing|arranging} labor strikes, and {purchasing|buying|acquiring} stock in {publicly|openly} traded {car|vehicle|automobile|cars and truck} {companies|business} to filibuster their {shareholder|investor} {meetings|conferences} and/or to vote to {have|have actually} racist policies {removed|eliminated|gotten rid of} and {replace|change} members of their board.
{Ultimately|Eventually}, Miller {believes|thinks} the {first step|initial step|primary step} to tackle what he {considers|thinks about} {racism|bigotry} in the {auto|car|automobile|vehicle} {industry|market} is to {inform|notify} African Americans and the rest of public. For any Black {car|vehicle|automobile|cars and truck} {consumers|customers} or allies who are {looking to|wanting to|seeking to|aiming to} {purchase|buy|acquire} {a vehicle|a car|an automobile|a lorry}, Miller’s book is {a highly|an extremely} {recommended|suggested|advised} read and can be {found|discovered} on Amazon at https://tinyurl.com/Rich-Miller-Dealing.
Miller now owns am {insurance company|insurance provider|insurer} StoneLeaf {Finance|Financing} & & {Insurance|Insurance Coverage} Group. You can visit his {website|site} at www.stoneleafinsurance.com.