Cars

Published on July 31st, 2020 | by Johnna Crider

July 31st, 2020 by Johnna Crider

Tesla is partnering with Huston-Tillotson University to provide internships and jobs for its students.

Huston-Tillotson University (HT), which is in Austin, TX, welcomed Tesla and announced that Tesla is collaborating with HT for student internships. In a welcome letter from HT, which is Austins oldest university and only Historical Black College and University (HBCU), the university announced that its team met with Tesla to discuss business, pre-engineering, and other programs. This led to plans for collaboration on internships and other partnerships.

Tesla will provide employment opportunities in the form of internships, apprenticeships, externships, and careers for HT students. The employment opportunities created by Tesla will provide a direct career path with access to a full array of benefits that align with HTs Career Pathways Initiative, which is focused on preparing students for mid-to-high-skilled careers in a dynamic and innovative global environment, HT said in the welcome letter. We anticipate our collaboration with Tesla to lead ultimately to internships, apprenticeships, externships, and fruitful careers for HT students. Tesla is an organization that aligns with and supports Huston-Tillotson Universitys core values and mission.

During Teslas 2nd quarter earnings call, Elon Musk announced that Tesla chose Austin as the site for its fifth gigafactory (fourth automotive gigafactory). Were also very excited to announce that were going to be building our next Gigafactory in Texas. Its going to be right near Austin. It will be about Ill just go into a bit of detail on this, and then Im sure therell be a lot of questions. But the location is five minutes from Austin National Airport and 15 minutes from Downtown Austin, he said.

Elon Musk also emphasized that Tesla was open to communications about engineering, production, and other things. Those other things, in the case of HT, will be employment training and opportunities for its students. This is a beautiful thing.

So if anyone is interested in looking at a Giga Texas with engineering, production, whatever the case may be, please let us know. This is were going to be doing a major factory there, and its also where well be doing Cybertruck there, the Tesla Semi. And well be doing Model 3 and Y for the eastern half of North America.

People love Tesla and love finally getting their vehicles delivered. This is why the company is here to stay. Tesla makes great products, and with that being said, it also stands up for things it believes in, such as equality.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities were established with the core goals of educating Black Americans and were developed when legal segregation was in place. The goal was to provide higher education to Black Americans who wouldnt have been able to attend other colleges due to the color of their skin. To me, the idea of someone being denied access to higher learning because of the color of their skin is not just disgusting, but insane. We live in post-segregation times when Black people are supposed to be viewed as equal and are viewed that way more than they were before, but still not by everyone. Despite that legal change, racism still prevails, and privilege for those of us who arent Black.

In America, we still have work to do when it comes to helping our fellow Black citizens, friends, and neighbors. Diversity is something that should be celebrated in America and Tesla is well-known for its role in creating more diversity in its workplaces. Diversity refers not just to skin color, but also includes more openness regarding hiring LGBTQ, women, age, nationality, and more.

When it comes to Black people, however, this particular group is often targeted by those with hatred in their hearts. Whether its through an unfair education system, police brutality, or cultural marketing (such as promoting violence and drugs as an answer in order to lure them into a lifestyle that will lead them into re-enslavement via the prison system you cant tell me that a life sentence for selling marijuana isnt slavery).

I think that Teslas partnership with an HBCU, which is just one way Tesla is helping Texas as a whole, could lead to similar partnerships with other HBCUs and it will also inspire other companies and corporations to also partner with HBCUs. Also, by partnering with an HBCU, Tesla is taking a stand to empower Black Americans and diversity in general. However, we need more companies and corporations standing up.

We need more people using their privilege to help whether its supporting HBCUs or even stopping someone from harassing a Black or other racially profiled person at the store. I think that we as Americans need to do our part and remember to love one another regardless of skin color and remember that everyone is human and should be afforded the same basic human rights as I am.

Top/featured image courtesy Huston-Tillotson University

Appreciate CleanTechnicas originality? Consider becoming aCleanTechnica member, supporter, or ambassador or aPatreon.

Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Send us an email: tips@cleantechnica.com

Tags: Austin, HBCU, Huston-Tillotson University, Tesla, Tesla Cybertruck, Tesla Giga Texas, Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model Y, Tesla Semi, Texas

Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem, and mineral collector, member of the International Gem Society, and a Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to Believe in Good.Tesla is one of many good things to believe in. You can find Johnna on Twitter

Excerpt from:

Teslas Newest Partnership With An HBCU Is A Great Thing - CleanTechnica