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General Motors Sponsors the 37th NAACP Image Awards: Celebs Show Faith in GM and •07 Products
The hottest spot on a Saturday afternoon in Hollywood is always going to be the set where you can find gourmet food, drinks, celebrities, live musical performances and of course, newly released 2007 vehicles. During the 37th NAACP Image Awards in L.A. the place to be was at GM's 4th Annual "Stars & GM Cars” Celebrity Brunch at The Cabana Club on Ivar Avenue. Holly Robison Peete was the afternoon's congenial host and Macy Gray held her end of the bargain with a live performance. From inside the lines, GM's own super trio -- Mike Jackson, Rod Gillum, & Ed Welburn -- were on deck to meet and greet guests with that GM corporate flair.
To understand GM's strong commitment to The Image Awards, you must first comprehend the relevance of the awards within the entertainment, arts, and performance arenas of Black society. Held annually, the NAACP Image Awards recognizes and awards the achievements of people of color in the arts and social justice. There are 36 award categories and include motion picture, television, music and literature. Honorary awards include the Chairman's Award, The President's Award and The Image Awards Hall of Fame. This year's honorees included Carlos Santana, The Neville Brothers and Susan L. Taylor. "General Motors is proud to be a sponsor of the 37th Annual NAACP Image Awards,” said Rod Gillum, vice president of GM Corporate Responsibility and Diversity. "We keep coming back because the NAACP has a track record we respect and admire. I can say the actions of General Motors have been inspired by the history of the NAACP and that inspiration has led GM to invest in African American businesses, workers and communities for more than three decades.”
As far as product goes the afternoon topic of discussion for GM was the 2007 GMC Yukon Denali. After testing it recently in Atlanta, Automotive Rhythms believes this model will be highly successful in the full-size SUV sales category. With a new fresh look, upgraded interior, chrome trimmings and a robust V8 engine, the Yukon is ready to rumble. Said Mike Jackson, vice president, GM Marketing and Advertising, "As the nation's number one market for GMC last year, L.A. not only leads from a sales perspective, but the concentration of notables and trendsetters here create a ripple effect that influences other markets nationwide.” Some of these notables who attended the brunch were Cuba Gooding, Jr. (NAACP Image Awards Host), Tyrese Gibson, controversial author Karinne Steffans, the guys from DUB magazine, and many more.
Later that evening, the Image Awards attracted a bevy of diverse music artists, actors and actresses, political figures, film makers, etc. Such notables included Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Chris Rock, Bernie Mac, Ludacris, Taraji P. Henson and Tyra Banks among others.
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Omarosa & Rod Gillum,VP, GM Corporate Responsibility & Diversity |
Kimatni (AR), Carol H. Williams, & Mike Jackson (GM) |
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Ed Welburn (GM), Cuba Gooding, Jr. (NAACP Image Awards Host) & Kevin Williams (GM) |
Macy Gray Performing |
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Mike Faeber, GMC Western Region with 2007 GMC Yukon Denali |
Kevin Williams (GM), Vivian Pickard (GM) & Judge Mathis & his daughter |
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Isiah Washington of Grey's Anatomy |
DUB's Myles Kovack & Kimatni |
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