HARRIMAN, Tenn. (WATE) — As the owner of Unstoppable Auto, Mark Hartsell grew up loving cars. He was always curious, not only about automobiles, but about the history of his ancestors as a Black man himself.
One of the first people that inspired Hartsell was C.R. Patterson, the first African American automotive manufacturer
“When you see that and notice that as a young kid, and you start finding out things about your culture and your ethnicity, and you start learning, if they can do it so can I,” Hartsell said.
It was no easy road for Hartsell to get to where he is today, and he credits how he was raised as a guide that pushed him to his full potential.
“I think the way I was raised, coming from a lower income family, some of the structure and some of the ways that I was without, it kind of humbled me and as a young kid,” he said.
Now Hartsell and his team work to fellowship with the high schools and some of the middle schools in the area.
“I want people to understand that if I can do it, so can they, and during this time of the year (Black History Month), it’s very important for me to express that,” he said.
To learn more about Hartsell and Unstoppable Auto, visit his website.
