Makayla Starks, a biracial woman from Wisconsin’s West Allis, was left shaken by a racial slur being included in her oil change sticker after having her 2023 Nissan Rogue serviced at Kunes Buick GMC in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The sticker, unexpectedly bearing the “n-word” next to standard maintenance information, left Starks shaken. The dealership originally tried to deflect blame by claiming a tool had been left in her engine bay, a weak excuse that fell apart immediately.
After public backlash, they apologized, terminated the offending employee, and offered Starks service credits, which she deemed insulting in consideration of how serious the situation was. The community was outraged, and protests erupted in support of Starks, who began pursuing legal action with her attorney, William Sulton.
But from this troubling episode emerged an inspiring act of kindness. Family Nissan, a dealership nearly 900 miles away in Inwood, New York, caught wind of Starks’ ordeal through news reports. Moved by her story, owner Ramzey Rizk decided to step in with a remarkable gesture: gifting Starks a brand-new Nissan Leaf electric car. The choice of a Nissan electric vehicle was intentional, freeing Starks from the need for future oil changes and the risk of reliving such a distressing experience.
On March 1, 2025, Starks made the journey to New York to accept the car, where she was met with additional surprises, including the dealership purchasing copies of her self-published book, A Painting Bird’s Whisper: Poetry & Prose.
This generous act offered Starks a fresh start and put into perspective the power of compassion and corporate responsibility in the face of racial injustice. Her story, weaving pain with a redemptive resolution, has opened doors to conversations about responsibility and why compassion counts in our daily lives.
