Amanda Gordon, the trailblazing owner of GOJO Auto, Colorado’s first Black woman-owned car dealership, is leveraging her own challenging experience in the car-buying process to educate others.
Recognizing the disparities faced by communities of color, especially Black women, Gordon has launched a workshop specifically tailored to empower female customers, who often encounter challenges when purchasing a car.
Gordon’s initiative comes as a response to decades of research highlighting the disproportionately higher prices charged to the Black community, with Black women facing a significant price gap even when employing the same negotiation tactics as white males.
According to a Los Angeles Times article, studies indicate that Black women are offered prices averaging $875 per car more than their white male counterparts.
The newly launched workshop by GOJO Auto aims to provide female customers with essential insights into budgeting, credit importance, and understanding the dynamics of a fair deal.
Amanda Gordon, in an interview with PBS, emphasized the obligation she felt to make a positive impact after obtaining her dealer’s license.
“The moment I got my dealer’s license, I knew that I had an obligation to do more than just make money. I needed to make change,” she said. “And through education is the best way to make that change. There’s a huge disparity in communities of color when it comes to finances in general.”
Before achieving success as a businesswoman, Gordon faced difficulties keeping up with high monthly car payments, leading to multiple repossessions.
Her personal experiences, coupled with over 22 years in the car industry, fueled her commitment to financial literacy and empowering consumers through education.
Gordon’s journey from viewing the car industry as a short-term job to a fulfilling career involved taking classes on financial literacy and attending automotive conferences.
With her newfound knowledge, she aims to empower consumers, especially women, to make financially savvy decisions in a male-dominated industry.
“Being a woman in a male-dominated landscape isn’t as challenging as one might think if you have the right information,” Gordon emphasized.
According to the car expert, the key elements consumers need to grasp are their purchasing power leverage and understanding pricing dynamics.
“It’s all about awareness,” Gordon stated. “If you know better, you do better.”
Amanda Gordon and GOJO Auto’s educational workshops mark a significant step toward dismantling financial disparities in the car-buying process.
