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Black-owned car dealerships are few and far between. Recent statistics from National Automobile Dealer Association (NADA) and the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD) indicate that of the roughly 18,000 throughout the United States a mere 8% are owned by minority groups. To date, just 266 car dealerships are Black-owned. Disparity aside, these Black-owned dealerships are thriving in the automotive industry by offering their clientele a range of vehicles and treating customers like royalty with much-deserved dignity and respect. Let’s take a look at eight dealerships that are really making a name for themselves across the country.

Famba Automotive Inc.

Faith Mba, an entrepreneur who owns the Famba Automotive Inc. dealership in Vermont. The company was set up in 2018. Famba specializes in Toyota and Ford sales. You can find them at 6896 US Route 5 in Westminster. Faith started out vending at a street market in Nigeria, and now the Nigerian American owns a dealership for both Toyota and Ford in the U.S. Famba Automotive is all about making sure customers are happy and community involvement. Famba has a selection of new and used cars to choose from. Faith’s journey is a part of what makes this dealership unique.

Mills Auto Group

Mills Automotive Group is an Black-owned dealership group that has been around since 2008. Mills Auto is based in Pineville, North Carolina. The company was founded by Damian Mills, an entrepreneur who made a mark in the industry. What sets Mills Auto apart is the range of brands the company offers. We’re talking Toyota, Volkswagen, Genesis, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Maserati, Audi, and Sprinter to name a few. If you’re ever in the area you can find them at 10724 Pineville Road, in the heart of Pineville. There are a lot of options under one roof. 

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RLJ McLarty Landers Automotive Holding L.L.C.

RLJ McLarty Landers Automotive Holding is a dealership in Little Rock, Arkansas. RLJ McLarty Landers has a group of dealerships under its belt, selling all types of vehicles. The company was started back in 2007 by Robert L. Johnson. RLJ McLarty Landers Automotive Holding is not just about selling cars. It’s also about giving back to the community. As one of few Black-owned car companies in the U.S., RLJ McLarty Landers Automotive Holding is passionate about promoting diversity and helping out in their neighborhood.

Sutton Auto Team

Sutton Auto Team has been a staple in the Midwest since 1989, when it was founded by Nathaniel “Nate” Sutton. The dealership is mostly known for selling Fords, but deals other brands, too. Based in Matteson, Illinois, the company started small and has since expanded into a dealership group that serves the whole state. What sets Sutton Auto Team apart is its customer service and dedication to the community. Sutton Auto Team is passionate about giving back and being involved in the community, which is one reason they’re so beloved. The dealership company is a player in the auto market. The family-owned business is led by Nate Sutton’s daughter, Karen Sutton-Ford.

BMW of the Hudson Valley

In the heart of New York’s Hudson Valley is a BMW dealership that stands out from the rest. BMW of the Hudson Valley, situated in Poughkeepsie, is owned by Ronald Walton, a businessman with enthusiasm and passion for the brand. Since its launch in 2009, this dealership has become the go-to place for BMW fans in the area. Whether you’re in the market for a brand new car or something preowned, BMW of the Hudson Valley has got you covered.

Lexus of Huntsville

Lexus of Huntsville in Huntsville, Alabama, has been around since 2016. What’s pretty remarkable about this place is that it’s owned by Ellenae Fairhurst, who happens to be the first African American woman to ever own a Lexus dealership in the U.S. If you’re in the market for a set of wheels, Lexus of Huntsville has a selection of brand-new and preowned Lexus vehicles to choose from. The dealership tends to offer high-end cars. 

Jackson Acura

If you’re in the market for a set of wheels, you should check out Jackson Acura in Roswell, Georgia. The dealership is 51% Black-owned by Harvey Jackson and has been around since 2006. Jackson Acura has built a reputation for treating their customers like royalty. The business earned a whopping $56 million in revenue in 2009. 

Pittman Enterprises

Pittman Enterprises has come a long way since Winston R. Pittman Sr. first started the company in Louisville, Kentucky back in 1987. What began as a dealership, has blossomed into one of the largest African American-owned auto dealership groups in the country. Today, Pittman Enterprises is spread across multiple states, offers a range of car brands and top notch customer services and is heavy on the customer service.

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Writer: Jordan Clark / Artist: Atagun İlhan / AHOY Comics

When I first read the description of Clark and İlhan’s ANCESTRAL RECALL, I was admittedly a little perplexed when I saw that the historical science fiction comedy series was being headlined by an eccentric abstract painter. Something about that particular protagonist archetype seemed much more in line with a more fantasy driven setting, but the disconnect made it that much more enticing to read.

And immediately from the first page, I am struck by how letterer Rob Steen’s translates Clark’s quirky writing as an inscrutable squiggle being translated with an asterisk, while İlhan’s opening illustration immediately depicts Melvin Warring as an iconic creative type in a studio with paint brushes on the floor and a variety of trinkets. And as the page turns, we see Melvin facing the even more familiar blank canvas before his wife June comes in. Clark’s dialog captures a particular type of sweetness and history between the two, which sets up the rest of the issue beautifully.

The sci-fi elements come into play as omniscient narration clues us into the oddities that are about to befall on the residents of Oakland. Clark and İlhan work wonderfully in tandem to make the world feel familiar while also skewing the scales just enough to reinforce the fantastic. I am a big fan of Myran’s introduction alongside her animatronic pet Panda and how she continues to hint at the greater conspiracy. It’s a brisk pace that never feels too overwhelming and as the creative team flows into the back half, everything flourishes.

There are change ups in the fidelity of detail, the color schemes, and the genre influences that just work wonderfully. There is a playfulness that show great care for paying tribute to different eras of Black history in service of a greater narrative of Melvin learning to leverage his titular power to unravel the mystery.

Ancestral Recall is a fun, inventive story that cleverly combines a lot of disparate elements into a smooth piece of work. The Milestone Initiative members live up to their credentials and entice the reader with a brilliant first issue that is going to be added to my pull.

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A few years ago, it wasn’t a guaranteed fact that Paramount Pictures would still be around today. However, a recent $8 billion merger with Skydance Productions saved the century-old studio. This means that Paramount now has a new CEO, David Ellison. The self-proclaimed movie-fanatic hosted a press conference at Paramount’s lot in Hollywood to discuss its future, covered by The Hollywood Reporter. At the event, Ellison specifically mentioned that Top Gun 3, World War Z, and yes, at long last, Star Trek, are big priorities for future feature films. This is great news for Trekkers, who have been waiting nearly a decade for a new Star Trek movie. It’s the longest gap ever for a Trek film since the franchise began in 1979.

Ever since the 2009 J.J. Abrams Star Trek reboot, which spawned two sequels, writer/producer Alex Kurtzman has been largely the main voice behind the franchise. He’s been an executive producer on Star Trek: Discovery, Picard, Strange New Worlds, and soon, Starfleet Academy. But according to Ellison, Star Trek won’t be “siloed off” into separate movie and television franchises anymore. Could this mean that after Strange New Worlds ends after season five, the proposed “Star Trek: Year One” spin-off series could just become a movie instead? Now, it seems that anything is possible when it comes to Star Trek theatrical features.

After making a billion dollars a few years back, a third Top Gun is also clearly a big priority for Paramount. And we highly doubt the waiting between entries will be anywhere near as long this time. Perhaps most surprising is the high priority given to World War Z. This is a movie with a single entry from back in 2013. The Brad Pitt film was a hit, and zombies have not lost their audience. And we just saw that a big gap between entries didn’t affect the critical or box office reception of 28 Years Later. The article also suggests that Paramount is looking to restore Transformers to its former cinematic glory at the box office. Ellison also wants to back more theatrical R-rated comedies, which these days, seems a nearly impossible task. Here’s hoping one of Hollywood’s greatest studios can find its footing once more.

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One thing DC Studios co-head James Gunn has been very good at is promoting the actual DC Comics that his films and streaming series are based on. And these shout-outs, which he uses his social media accounts to talk about, have resulted in many comics selling out all over the country. Tom King’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is a very good example of this. Recently, Gunn revealed on Threads which DC titles he believed were great introductory collections for new comics readers. All are top-tier, but could these hint at what we might see in the DCU? With some, it seems almost certain.

Mark Waid’s Superman: Birthright had several elements used in Gunn’s Superman, so its inclusion among his choices is a no-brainer. The same goes for Tom King’s Mister Miracle, which is getting an animated adaptation soon. Another Tom King book is Strange Adventures, featuring 1950s sci-fi hero Adam Strange. Wonder Woman: Historia is a recent series by Kelly Sue DeConnick, retelling Amazon history through a modern lens. Could this be what the proposed Paradise Lost series is based on? As for Gotham City heroes, Gunn includes the excellent first volume of Nightwing from Tom Taylor and artist Bruno Redondo. Seeing that Gunn is a big Dick Grayson fan is reassuring.

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Gunn recommends four books from writer Alan Moore. Three of them are The Top Ten Compendium, The Tom Strong Compendium, as well as Promethea. These were written for the America’s Best Comics imprint for DC’s Wildstorm label, running from 1999-2010. Top Ten is about a police precinct in a city with only superhumans, and Promethea is about a young woman who channels a goddess. Tom Strong centers on a pulpy hero in the classic 1930s mold, which Gunn revealed was a big influence on Superman. From writer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch is the first volume of The Authority. As this was one of the initial announcements for the new DCU (since put on hold), we already knew Gunn was a big fan. Plus, the Authority’s Engineer made it into Superman.

The fourth Moore title is Watchmen, which you have almost certainly heard of. Seeing as how Moore now seems to hate superhero comics, vowing to never work for DC again, we doubt any of these are getting a DCU adaptation anytime soon. And Watchmen has already had three adaptations in sixteen years. But Gunn is correct in noting that all of these are excellent starting points for new comic book readers. In the comments, a fan suggested Darwyn Cooke’s New Frontier. Gunn quickly responded that this book is another great entry point. But each of these books is great, and if they can convert fans of Superman into comics fans, Gunn has done his job.

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