CARS Official Statement: A Step Towards Justice

As George Floyd is laid to rest today we are again reminded of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin and the countless others who have lost their lives because of the social and racial injustice and inequalities that have existed in the world for far too long. 

Last week, we paused all of our news and social media feeds to make space for the very important conversations happening in the world. We took time to wrap our arms around employees, to listen, and to reflect on what we can do to continue to learn and grow as a company. Most importantly, we focused on determining how to activate our resources towards making a difference in the world, and specifically for Black lives and communities, right now and moving forward.

Change starts with reflecting on your values and belief system, and we believe we can make a change for the better. Here are the tangible commitments we are making to our industry, our employees and our local communities. 

Supporting Black-owned dealerships. We will be supporting the important work of our industry and OEM associations that support minority-owned dealerships in the U.S. and advocate for diversity and economic parity in automotive. CARS will work in partnership with these organizations to increase the number of Black-owned dealerships and help existing dealerships thrive through technology.   

Continuing and prioritizing our very important work around diversity, inclusion and belonging, from equitable hiring practices and salary structure at every level of our organization, to ensuring that our Black employees have the resources and support they need to thrive in our community. CARS is planning a series of employee events focused on awareness, conversations, understanding and change. We are also rethinking our Referral Hiring program to ensure we maintain a diverse and inclusive workforce. 

Showing up for our communities. As a company headquartered in Chicago, we are planning a Day of Action in which employees can come together, volunteer and support local Chicago-based organizations that are doing the important work of rebuilding and revitalizing underserved Black communities that have been affected during this time. All CARS employees across the country are also granted a volunteer day so they can spend time working within their local communities to affect change and make a lasting impact. 

We are enraged by all of the lives lost. Racism is a problem that we must join together to solve. A movement has been ignited across the world that compels us to take action and do more. These steps build on our commitment, but we need your help to ensure this is the beginning of a longer journey. The fight for equality doesn’t end today but is the beginning of what we hope to be a season of change, hope and equality. 

Black lives matter. We stand in solidarity with our Black employees, our customers, the consumers who use our products and the entire Black community around the world. We believe that we are stronger together, and that diversity is the basis of that strength. 

Standing together for justice,

Alex Vetter

CEO, Cars, Inc.