NABO & NAN to Lobby Congress to Increase Tariffs & Limit Honda Products Manufactured in USA Until Honda Resolves Diversity Issues: Lack of African American Dealerships, Vendors, Management and Alliance w/XM Satellite Radio

DETROIT, April 28 -- The National Association of Black Organizations (NABO) and the National Action Network (NAN) will undertake a major lobbying campaign to increase the tariff on Honda imports to the USA and limit the number of vehicles and other products Honda is allowed to manufacture in America. NABO & NAN say that the action is mandated until Honda demonstrates a commitment to diversity that ensures African Americans are reflected in statistically significant numbers in top management, dealership owners and vendors. NABO and NAN also are demanding that Honda review its alliance with XM Satellite Radio.

"The sons and daughters of African Americans are again demonstrating our commitment as Americans by fighting, being held POW, dying, and killing for this nation. It is wrong for a foreign power such as Japan to engage in institutionally racist behavior patterns that would deny African Americans jobs, business and decency in broadcasting. That is why we will lobby Congress to increase the tariff on all Honda products in addition to limiting the number of vehicles manufactured on our shores," said Reverend Horace Sheffield III, CEO of NABO and president of the Michigan chapter of NAN.

"Honda has committed an economic Pearl Harbor on African Americans. American Honda must review its relationship with African Americans and African American vendors and suppliers that could conduct business with American Honda," said Sheffield.

In a letter to Koishi Amemiya, President, American Honda Motor Company, Sheffield notes the 700 billion dollar annual buying power of Black America and requested a meeting to address diversity issues and Honda's relationship with XM Satellite Radio.

"We support those that support us. We cannot be silent while African Americans spend hard earned dollars with a company that does not hire, promote or do business with us in a statistically significant manner. Adding insult to injury, American Honda maintains a fiscally unsound relationship supportive of the value & racially insensitive XM Satellite Radio. XM has fought carriage of the value positive Word Network. The Word is a mainstay on TV sets throughout Black America," said Sheffield.

"We know that apologists for a racist status quo will rush to the defense of those that give petty cash to opportunists but we will not turn back on our effort to gain economic parity. We will not tolerate corporate irresponsibility that harms our community. Honda lacks a significant number of black dealerships and does not do enough business with minority vendors. That is wrong. That reality coupled with Honda's relationship with XM Satellite Radio forces us to consider direct action against Honda at a time when XM Sat Radio places porn profits over the family oriented value positive Word Network," said Sheffield.

NABO and NAN demonstrations for value positive satellite broadcast programming in Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Denver, Maryland, Virginia, New York and Michigan have attracted hundreds that marched in protest while some demonstrators were jailed for civil disobedience.

The non-profit Word Network is the mainstream media broadcaster for African-American ministries and gospel music. The Word content includes ministries, gospel music, talk shows, religious conventions; SCLC & PUSH confabs and serves as the official Super Bowl gospel presenter. Based in Southfield, Michigan, The Word Network offers value positive family programming embraced by millions of African Americans in urban and rural markets. The Word Network is available in 31 million homes in the United States through DirecTV, AT&T, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Cox, Millennium Digital Media, Charter, Adelphia, Cablevision, RCN, Sirius Satellite Radio and a host of smaller cable operators. Programming from The Word Network is provided to 1 million men and women in the United States Armed Forces in 165 countries. The Word Network is also providing programming to 75 million households in Africa.