NAACP Presents Two Corporate Awards to Goodyear

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 22 -- The Southern Region of the NAACP has presented The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company with its prestigious "Corporation of the Year" award.

Formally known as the "2004 Leonard F. Springs II Corporate Award," it is given to a corporation that has given the greatest or most consistent contribution during the year. The Akron, Ohio, company also received a "Premier 2004 Corporate Gold Partner" award.

Donald D. Harper, Goodyear's vice president of North American human resources shared services, said the dual awards from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People make Goodyear proud. "We are proud of our working partnership with the NAACP."

Harper also was a featured speaker at the region's inaugural Freedom Awards banquet in Birmingham on Saturday.

Goodyear is the only tire company to exhibit at NAACP's national convention and has sponsored a labor luncheon for several years. The company also has supported NAACP efforts at national, regional and community events nationwide, Harper said.

This year, the tire company is sponsoring the Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education board of director's event, on the 50th anniversary of this landmark case.

The Rev. Charles L. White Jr., NAACP southern regional director, said Goodyear and the NAACP formed a partnership many decades ago that has continued to grow stronger. "Through our joint support of programs of mutual interest, our organizations have forged a successful relationship built on cooperation and collaboration.

"But Goodyear's support of the NAACP has been more than just financial. Company executives and employees in communities throughout the country provide valuable human resources for causes in which we both believe.

"The company's commitment to the NAACP is so strong that all employees who have responsibility for outreach are members of the NAACP, including several life memberships," the Rev. White said.

Harper said the partnership has been mutually beneficial. "Thanks to our participation with the NAACP, Goodyear's outreach and minority recruitment efforts have resulted in a diverse and talented workforce that is essential for business success and growth."

Through the years, Goodyear has received NAACP honors from local and regional chapters in the United States.