In 2016 Chevrolet tasked Carol H. Williams Advertising in creating an opportunity for HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) students to develop content for the Black press under the guidance of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). Thus, Discover the Unexpected (DTU), a scholarship program uplifting the future of HBCU journalism was born.
The program was originally designed as a 16-week road trip for the scholars with mentorship pit stops at the various NNPA offices along the way. However, in our fifth year of running the program (2021) due to the pandemic, we made the program virtual, while also launching the all-new Chevrolet Bolt EV.
This year’s inspiration was DTU: ZERO (hearkening to General Motors’ “Zero Vision” of a world with zero emissions, zero crashes, and zero congestion). DTU: ZERO reaffirms Chevrolet’s recommitment to social and climate change. DTU: ZERO is also intended to be a reset on how we engage Black minds and offer opportunity in an evolving world. This journey was filled with learnings centered around environmentalism and content creation.
