In the course of the 2022 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, the ESSENCE Tech Summit audience was treated to a conversation presented by Ford that explored how the sale, production and ownership of electrical vehicles stand to affect the Black community.

Joined by Federal Affairs Director Dr. Nadia Anderson and Mental Health Clinician Tenesha Winfrey, EVHybridNoire Co-Founder Dr. Shelley Francis kicked off the conversation by talking a bit in regards to the overall impact that the brand new mobility option is having and can proceed to have on Black communities, each economically and environmentally.

“The transportation landscape looks really different today than it’s ever looked,” she said. “We’ve seen transformational investments from the federal government, in addition to auto manufacturers to actually help increase the sale and production of electrical vehicles. So, what that also means is that there are going to be more job opportunities with the production of unpolluted, electric vehicles and it’s also going to mean less pollution. African-American communities are disproportionately impacted by transportation emissions, in order that’s a vital conversation for our community.”

The women went on to share their personal experiences with electric vehicles including the prices, ease of usage and refueling process. The panel also discussed how Black and Brown communities can higher prepare for the shift that’s happening policy-wise and industry-wise with regard to electric vehicles and the way those changes relate to socioeconomic issues like transportation equity, environmental justice, economic progress and overall mobility.

Take a look at the video above to listen to the conversation in full. For more of every part you missed on the 2022 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, visit our official video content hub HERE.