Cadillac’s 1930s Policy Reversal: Embracing Diversity and Boosting Sales

In the beginning of the 1930s, Cadillac had a policy that prohibited the sale of cars to African Americans. However, in 1933, Nicholas Dreystadt, a mid-level manager at General Motors, boldly interrupted a GM executive committee meeting and persuaded them to abandon this policy, advocating for marketing efforts targeting the African American community. As a result, within just one year, Cadillac experienced a remarkable sales increase of 70%.