February 20th 2025.
After a tumultuous election, President Donald Trump has once again taken his place in the White House, ready to enact his agenda. Among his top priorities is dismantling DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, a move that has raised concerns for the future of Black-owned businesses. However, it's worth noting that even under the previous administration of President Biden, many of these businesses were already facing difficulties in securing federal contracts.
While some minority-owned firms may have benefited from DEI programs and initiatives, many Black-owned businesses feel that these efforts were not enough to address the deeper systemic barriers they face in the business world. "DEI isn't for us," says Casey Cooper, the owner of a Black-woman-owned long-haul trucking company, in an interview with Reuters. "It may look good on paper, but that money doesn't end up in our hands anyway."
Despite Trump's aim to dismantle DEI initiatives throughout the federal government, Cooper remains unfazed. She believes that these programs did not truly address the root issues that hinder Black-owned businesses. And she's not alone in her sentiments. Ken Harris, president and CEO of the National Business League, a trade association for Black-owned businesses, shares that many business owners feel disillusioned and betrayed by the current state of affairs. For them, DEI policies, while a step in the right direction, only provided a glimmer of hope in an otherwise exclusionary system.
Government data from 2023 and 2024 show that small disadvantaged businesses received only 12% and 1.61% of federal contract dollars, respectively, while Black-owned businesses received an even smaller portion of only 1.54%. These numbers are staggering, especially when compared to the overwhelming majority of contracts awarded to large corporations. This stark reality has prompted experts in DEI, government contracting, public policy, and advocacy to speak out against the Trump administration's actions.
Wendell Stemley, owner of Black IPO Construction Management and president of the National Association of Minority Contractors, is among those who have raised their voices. He has requested a meeting with Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to discuss the lack of contracting opportunities for Black and minority business owners. Stemley is also seeking a meeting with Trump, hoping to address what he calls a "bipartisan failure" in promoting diversity in the business world.
Stemley's goal is to emphasize the need for better workforce training for minorities, enabling them to secure contract work with vendors who are committed to breaking down the exclusive networks that have historically shut out smaller, minority-owned businesses. In addition, leaders of other minority-focused trade associations are considering legal challenges to the Trump administration's orders. They are seeking legal advice and planning to meet with lawmakers to advocate for the continuation of diversity initiatives.
Drexel Johnson, a Black general engineering contractor in California, echoes the sentiments of many when he says, "If you take away the little bit of progress that we've made over the years, that's just not fair." As the debate over DEI initiatives and their impact on Black-owned businesses continues, one thing is clear: the fight for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the business world is far from over. And as Senator Raphael Warnock reminds us, this is a fight that is deeply rooted in the history of our nation, including the White House itself, which was built by the hands of Black people.
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