I

The auto industry has employed my mom for most of her career. For as long as I can remember, she's worked for General Motors.

My junior year, the CEO of General Motors spoke to my class. As I thanked Mary Barra, I thought of how hard my mom worked to give me these opportunities. Then I called my mom to thank her for … everything. I stayed through the tears until I could find all the words for her.

II

The auto industry fueled Detroit. By 2008, the flame had nearly fizzled out. At age 10, I heard my mom joke about probably losing her job. I felt my heart sink, and pondered how much food we could afford without her salary.

III

The auto industry declined in Detroit long before 2008.

“It's because of you little motherfuckers that we're out of work.” In 1982, two autoworkers beat Vincent Chin to death. They didn't care that Chin came from China, not Japan. He died a week before his wedding; neither served time.

IV

The auto industry built cars, not public transport, for Detroit. Ask a Detroiter about public transport. What public transport? Perhaps you mean the bundle of headaches that never arrives on-time.

The rich used their cars to leave Detroit for the suburbs. The have-nots got left behind. Today, Detroit, 4/5 black, has the least diversity and the most minority of American cities.

V

The auto industry doesn't make me think of cars. It evokes joys and pains, opportunity and decline. As we transition from Black History to Women's History month, I wanted to collect these coincidentally related thoughts about the auto industry.

I don't love the exact flow of these thoughts. Perhaps I'll edit them in the future.