Post by Flagship Credit Acceptance

Today's #BlackHistoryMonth feature in the #AutomotiveIndustry: Homer Roberts, the first African American Dealer Principal. Roberts began selling cars in 1919 after moving to Kansas City seeking work as an electrical engineer. His first office might have been a curbstone, but it wasn’t long until he had the capacity to purchase a two-story building in 1923 that became known as the Roberts Building. In addition to a garage and showroom for Roberts’ “Motor Mart,” it housed a restaurant, several shops, and offices. By 1928, Roberts retailed over $2 million of vehicle inventory. From the time of Roberts’ Motor Mart, there have been thousands of successful, Black-owned dealers, many of whom are recognized by the industry as the most successful dealers in the country today.