From left to right: Andrea Howard, Focus Audiences Marketing manager, Sondra Sutton-Phung, Marketing general manager, Electric Vehicles, and Angela Henderson, Racial Equity director, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. The team hosted a panel discussion titled “The Joy of Access: Finding Happiness in the Workplace”
Ford served as the exclusive automotive sponsor of the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, which took place June 30 to July 3 in New Orleans.
“We were glad to celebrate our 14th year as the vehicle sponsor of this festival and be back in person. ESSENCE has always stood for what’s important to black women and black culture,” said Ford Focus Audiences Marketing Manager Andrea Howard. “We showed up as a lifestyle brand, allowing attendees to recharge, connect and show up on their terms. It was a great opportunity for us to show them that they can move freely and pursue their dreams with Ford.”
Ford’s booth at the event featured an F-150 Lightning Car-aoke, Mustang Mach-E electric dance floor challenge, a Bronco Sport 360 photo booth and a Maverick on display.
A ride-and-drive included an array of Ford vehicles, and participants received an insta-collage poster as a thank-you for participating. Ford donated $20 per ride and raised a total of $15,000 -- $10,000 was presented to the NOLA Chapter of the NAACP and $5,000 to Warriors in Pink.
Special celebrity guests included Sherri Shepherd, who shared an exclusive preview of her new talk show Sherri, KevOn Stage and Mrs. KevOn Stage.
