Minority Business Participation in Government Contracts

WHEREAS, many states no longer adhere to minority business goals on state funded public works projects, resulting in a dramatic decrease in the number of African American businesses participating in government contracts; and

WHEREAS, the voters in several states have authorized abolition of goals and programs for minority owned business using state tax payer funds on public works projects that were established through legislation and public law; and

WHEREAS, the Black Chamber of Commerce, during testimony before Congress in September 2007, noted the failure of the Small Business Administration to provide needed technical assistance to minority owned businesses; and

WHEREAS, the Black Chamber of Commerce, during testimony before Congress in September 2007, stated that minority owned businesses have been decimated in recent years because of their inability to secure government contracts and subcontracts; and

WHEREAS, in testimony before Congress, in September 2007, the Black Chamber of Commerce stated that there was less than 0.02% participation by African American contractors in FEMA contracts during the Katrina recovery;

THEREFORE, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP call upon Congress, the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Office of Federal Procurement Policy and all federal, state and local agencies to: 1) promote the use of minority business enterprises in the participation of federal, state and local contracts and subcontracts; 2) provide more oversight and monitoring of contracts for compliance in using minority business enterprises and other small and disadvantaged businesses; 3) call for the enforcement of existing laws and penalties on agencies and prime contractors that fail to comply; and 4) that the federal government be precluded from suspending these requirements based upon exigent circumstances.