In the mid 70's Governor Milton Shapp of Pennsylvania announced the negotiation of a deal with Volkswagen of America Inc. To allow them to manufacture vehicles in the state of Pennsylvania (by offering additional tax incentives), he hoped to eliminate the high rate of unemployment and to bring additional revenues to the state. In response to this announcement the NAACP made it known to the Governor that their hopes were to ensure employment in Pennsylvania for African Americans and other minorities. Governor Shapp assured the NAACP that he would require that Volkswagen comply with the state rules and regulations of employment concerning minorities.
Volkswagen Corporation announced that they would hire minorities but wanted only top-notched candidates to fill their positions and reserved the rights to choose the candidates they wanted. As a result they sought out and recruited a highly recommended candidate, Mr. William Bryant Brock, a well known African American administrator who had a track record of excellence and lived in the city of Pittsburgh.
Mr. Brock was the first minority to be hired and accepted the position as an (Equal Employment Opportunity Administrator) in the Personnel office at the Westmoreland County Plant New Stanton, PA in July, 1977.
Mr. Brock would be responsible for the development and implementation of corporate efforts to employ Blacks and other minorities including woman, latinos and Asians in order to ensure full compliance of Civil Rights and Equal Employment laws in the operation of the Volkswagen plant.
Initially it appeared that Mr. Brock was accepted as a top-notched Volkswagen official perhaps because of the fact that he wrote speeches for the Vice President of Volkswagen, saved them millions of dollars or his expertise in production management. Mr. Brock was sent on the company Jet to Germany to give presentations to company leaders.
Mr. Brock was troubled to learn that minorities that he recruited, were continually bearing the inappropriate acts of racism at the plant. A number of blacks requested his help to put a stop to the incessant unfair treatment.
Complaints made on a daily basis of inappropriate remarks. There were “Nigger application for employment“ applications; left on many employees's desks. On this application some derogatory questions were made. A secretary found a dead rat on her desk, A dead snake was found in another staff member's desk. The remarks went on and on until it was finally unbearable. Johnathan Kaufman of the Boston Globe wrote this telling article regarding the teatment Mr. Brock and others experienced at Volkswagen.
Mr. Brock was inscense after learning of the shameful and deplorable conditions that blacks at the plant were enduring and therefore, took immediate action by approaching the personnel director for a meeting to discuss what could be done to put a stop to these egregious practices; Volkswagen refused a meeting.
Mr. Brock pleaded with Volkswagen executives to put a stop to the harassment but, they repeatedly refused. When Mr. Brock learned that nothing was being done he went to the president of Volkswagen Dr. Carl Hahn and requested a meeting. He wrote a letter to Germany requesting an immediate response.
Mr. Brock was put off repeat-idly and told to “leave it alone because the blacks at the plant weren’t like him.” Mr. Brock felt that Volkswagen wanted him to set himself above the other minorities at the plant. Again, Mr. Brock approached management at the New Stanton plant and proclaimed that he would sit outside of their office until a meeting could be held to address these issues.
The President at the plant, then ordered security guards to remove Mr. Brock from the plant and stated that he could not return until he went to see a Volkswagen appointed psychiatrist. Mr. Brock was escorted out of the plant and immediately went to see the company psychiatrist and was given a full report stating that he wasn’t suffering from any type of illusions and was perfectly normal with above average intelligence. The Doctor also stated that, Mr. Brock continued to suffer via the unfair treatment of being discriminated against; and many others were suffering from the effects of racism taking place at the plant.
When Mr. Brock returned to work at the plant he tried in every way possible to work with his superiors to reach an agreement to prevent racial practices at the plant.
However, these repulsive practices were then, more imposed on Mr. Brock himself. Mr. Brock was then removed from the personnel office and placed in a production office. Due to the fact that Mr. Brock was reassigned the NAACP made it known that they were paying close attention to what Mr. Brock was being subject to endure at the plant. Plant officials wrote articles in local newspapers and announced publicly that Brock had been moved to “further his career.” This information appeared to be lies because Mr. Brock continued for years to suffer by continually enduring unfair racist practices at the New Stanton Plant.
Brock prepared to write a book after he overheard and taped a conversation being held by Volkswagen officials conspiring to cover-up and further discriminate against other Black employees that would have been very damaging to the company if Mr. Brock would’ve made the information public.
Mr. Brock attempted to use the tape as leverage to get executives to make conciliations for minorities at the plant. As a result he began receiving death threats. On December 27, 1982 Mr. Brock contacted his siblings and other family member and asked them to come to his home in Washington County Pennsylvania . At that meeting Mr. Brock was excited and expressed to family members that he had recently been approved for a $9 Million Dollar venture OUTSIDE of Volkswagen he told everyone about the positions that they’d be assigned to work in the new company that he was prepared to purchase.
Additionally, he told family members that his life had been threatened and he wanted them to come out to the plant so the company could see how large his family was. At that point Mr. Brock was pressed by his family to leave Volkswagen immediately, due to the threats on his life, He said “I can’t I’ve got people counting on me .” Mr. Brock wanted Volkswagen to realize that family members would pick-up where he left off should anything happen to him.
The family agreed to make that requested appearance at the plant, unfortunately, a mere 10 days after the family meeting, just before that scheduled date Mr .Brock was shot with the gun he received from his brother to protect himself, Wife, and children. Mr. Brock’s family immediately called the district attorney John C. Pittit to say that he DID NOT commit suicide unfortunetly, Mr. Brock never even received a coroner’s inquest. Could that be due to the corruption of Washington County Government who were constantly under fire due to illegal practices? Or, could it be due to cover-up in a big company, able to hide behind their money and political connection?
We need your help, please send this pre-written letter to your congressional representative NOTE: IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE REPRESENTATIVE PLEASE ADDRESS THEM ALL. Click Here to find your Congressional Representative. After you've Mailed or Faxed your letter to your representative please return to this website, click on and complete the link.
(Next Step) and please ask all of your friends, family members, co-workers, colleagues and social networks to do the same, in and/or out of your city and state to join this campaign to draw national attention to this murder/cover-up.
With your help we can publicly expose the party or parties responsible for his murder to hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law. We are tireless in our efforts to make it known that Mr. Brock was an admirable and productive member of society.
As a prominent black executive of Volkswagen of America, Inc. Mr. Brock was proficient in his field of expertise. We plan to bring to light the fact that it’s morally and ethically wrong for a man to be murdered for carrying out the job he was recruited to perform.
Remember there is no Statute of Limitations on Murder please help us...
Expose corporate cover-up and get justice for William B. Brock
