In spite of the ceilings, closed doors, and proverbial feet on our necks, black, female entrepreneurs are taking the leap against all odds. According to CNBC, African American women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in America today. This African American business woman and mom is once again proving that black women are shattering the glass and titanium ceilings across this country. She’s taking on a sport where you seldom see people of color participate, and she’s leading the charge on the race track. Melissa Harville-Lebron is the first black woman to own a NASCAR racecar team and she’s brought the first multi-cultural team to the sport.
In her interview with CBS she says, “I don’t look like everybody else, and we have some proving to do; but we’re just as good.” E2 Northeast Motor Sport is a developmental team in the Camping World Truck Series.
To be clear, Harville-Lebron and her two sons were not competing during the Truck Series race being run the day of the interview; and they hae never run a NASCAR race at hall. Harville-Lebron, in an interview with Yahoo cleared up the issue of having a team, but never running a race. She stated, “First of all, I got approved by NASCAR for my license. I didn’t just open a Crackerjack box and get it. I got approved for my license. And from there-my team is incorporated, my team has been incorporated. I purchased equipment. I started to put a team together with personnel. The only thing that has not occurred yet is for me to have an official race entry in under my name.”
In the interview, Harville-Lebron mentioned having issues with sponsorships; hopefully this recent media attention will send more money and sponsors her way.
Source: CBS News,Yahoo
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