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GM Rep Talks Diversity During Fireside Chat at Black Press Week

NNPA NEWSWIRE — General Motors continued to show its commitment to diversity and inclusion and a dedication to the partnership it has developed with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) as representatives attended Black Press Week and sat for a fireside chat with NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

Published

8 years ago

March 23, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

General Motors continued to show its commitment to diversity and inclusion and a dedication to the partnership it has developed with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) as representatives attended Black Press Week and sat for a fireside chat with NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

Chavis relayed questions from a live audience – including a group of students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts – at a fellowship luncheon held inside the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington as he chatted with Cherie Wilson, the director of Federal Affairs for General Motors.

The chat was also was live-streamed to viewers across the Black Press of America’s social media platforms, including Facebook.

Wilson said she learned from her colleague, Lester Booker, Jr., about the popular Discover the Unexpected (DTU) program where Chevrolet and NNPA teamed up for a journalism fellowship program that provides students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities the opportunity for an eight-week, immersive training experience with the Black Press.

It’s just one of many programs that shows GM’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, particularly within the African American community, Wilson said.

“It’s really a phenomenal opportunity for young individuals interested in journalism to be exposed to the Black Press in particular and to also have a connection with Chevrolet where we’ve provided students with a $10,000 scholarship and a $5,000 stipend and access to a specific Chevy-branded vehicle to take a road trip and engage with community stakeholders and key leaders to learn about what’s happening in the African American community,” said Wilson. “And, to develop a narrative around that and share it,” she said.

Among Wilson’s responsibilities at GM is developing and executing legislative and political engagement in vehicle finance, corporate sustainability and diversity.

Since joining GM in 2015, Wilson, who holds a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania, executed the first executive-level Congressional engagement for GM’s captive finance arm.

She spearheaded GM’s first cross-functional Diversity and Inclusion Report and established sustainability as part of the Federal issue portfolio to better align messaging and policy development.

“Given our commitment to the NNPA and ensuring that our stories are getting out to communities of color, people who look like us know what we’re doing,” Wilson said.

Another initiative is GM’s robust partnership with historically black North Carolina A&T State University, one of eight North American universities competing in an AutoDrive challenge – an autonomous vehicle design competition to develop and demonstrate a fully autonomous passenger vehicle, Wilson said.

The goal to navigate an urban driving course in an automated driving mode.

“We’ve also engaged with Howard University with AMIE, so it really does provide us with the opportunity to tap into diverse talent and to create a pipeline, because if we don’t engage with a diverse community of color, we will have the same problem of how do we engage in diversity,” Wilson said.

AMIE is an acronym for Advancing Minorities’ Interest in Engineering, which counts as a coalition of corporations, government agencies and the Engineering Schools at the ABET accredited HBCUs.

The primary purpose is to facilitate partnerships between corporations and/or government agencies and one or more of the HBCU engineering programs.

Wilson said General Motors remains committed in getting its message out through advertising in the Black Press, stating, “I think this is an example of one way we hope to engage in this particular audience. “You [The Black Press] have an important role of informing people of color and ensuring that the important narrative is told.

“I think we have been able to really engage and partner with NNPA and the Black Press in general because it’s very important that the communities in which we live and work are very representative of those we engage so we will continue to have robust conversations with the Black Press to make sure that we get out the message.”

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61 years since Selma, Houston leaders say the bridge remains to be crossed

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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]

Published

1 month ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.

The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.

Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?

A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.

The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.

A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.

It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.

Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.

Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts

Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.

You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.

Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.

Can You Bring Something You Already Own?

Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.

The following can all work if they still look presentable:

A duplicate kitchen gadget
An untouched game
A decorative item
A sealed gift set
An unopened candle
A new travel accessory

The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.

Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.

Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts

Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.

Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.

Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.

You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?

Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.

That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.

Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.

The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.

How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?

For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.

Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.

Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.

Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?

A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.

Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.