JACKSON, Miss. – Known as The Driving Force (TDF), the program has been extended for a second year at Jackson State University (JSU) for students interested in exploring multimedia career opportunities within the automotive industry.
Through the Black Automotive Media Group (BAMG), TDF hosts minority students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in a 10-week, field-credit academic program that commingles virtual training, mentoring sessions, and in-person product experiences.
Now in its third year, TDF continues to evolve while enhancing career development for young devotees seeking guidance in the mobility sector. Conversations began with an effort to improve the diversity and inclusion of African American journalists covering the automotive industry and the opportune moment presented itself to help prepare the next generation of automotive media experts hailing from JSU.
“Our first-year collaboration with Jackson State University and Nissan created a diverse program that allowed JSU students to flourish with the extended resources provided,” said BAMG founding member, Kimatni D. Rawlins. “TDF will continue providing professional development tools for talented scholars while offering supplementary perspectives on automotive industry opportunities.”
For the Spring 2023 academic session, TDF welcomes 17 students from JSU in Jackson, Mississippi.
“A personal and professional passion is to empower and mentor youth through learning opportunities,” said Ashli C. Bobo, director, Nissan Corporate Communications. “The Nissan team is proud to continue our support of The Driving Force program. We celebrate the development of future leaders and their journey to learning about the electrifying and innovative world of automotive, and the communications industry.”
TDF is led by respected media specialists Kimatni D. Rawlins of Automotive Rhythms Communications, Marcus Amick, and Greg Morrison from Bumper2Bumpertv, with additional support from an array of Black automotive journalists and publishers.
“The Department of Journalism and Media Studies is pleased to be a part of TDF with BAMG and Nissan,” said Dr. Elayne Hayes Anthony, Chairman of the JSU Department of Journalism and Media Studies. “Our students will gain relevant skills to open new doors in the automotive industry. In addition, we are honored that our students can engage in an industry that will continue to hone their skills in writing, interviewing, public relations, and social media. We appreciate the team at Nissan for supporting the program.”
For more information about Nissan’s products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissan-global.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.
About Jackson State UniversityÂ
The mission of Jackson State University, an HBCU and comprehensive urban research university, is to provide quality teaching, research, and service at the baccalaureate, masters, specialist, and doctoral levels to diverse populations of students and communities using various modalities to ensure that they are technologically-advanced, ethical, global leaders who think critically and can address societal problems and compete effectively.
About The Black Automotive Media GroupÂ
The Black Automotive Media Group is a distinguished group of African American reporters and writers representing over 200 years of combined experience in automotive journalism within radio, television, print, experiential marketing, and social media. BAMG members either work for or own various automotive media platforms to bring equity to Black professionals who work within the automotive industry. For additional details regarding The Driving Force HBCU program, please visit AutomotiveRhythms.com.
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