DETROIT -- Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson is calling for a boycott of BMW products because of a lack of diversity among its dealer body.
He pointed to African-Americans in particular, who own just seven BMW stores out of more than 300 in the U.S., according to the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers' 2016 census.
Hispanics own five BMW stores, while Asians own nine, according to NAMAD data.
He made the announcement during Friday's Rainbow PUSH Global Automotive Summit here.
“BMW has a decades long commitment to diversity and it’s evident in our employees, our suppliers and our dealerships," BMW said in a statement. "As an active member of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers we are always looking for ways to increase both management and ownership of our dealerships by minorities."
Jackson said he's calling for anyone who cares about the issue to participate in the boycott.