Casey Cooper, a Black woman in long-haul trucking, built her business over 11 years before landing a federal contract in 2017. She has since secured nearly $6 million in contracts but remains skeptical of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
“DEI isn’t for us,” she said. “It looks good on paper, but that money doesn’t go to us anyway.”
Trump’s rollback of DEI initiatives threatens to erode gains made under Biden, say experts. In 2021, Biden set a goal to award 15% of federal contract dollars to small disadvantaged businesses by 2025, but in 2023, Black-owned firms received only 1.54% of $637 billion in eligible contracts.
Challenges persist for minority business owners, including difficulty securing capital and performance bonds. “White men can get a bond quicker than we can,” said Patricia Sigers, a Black construction firm owner.
Trump rescinded a 1965 order prohibiting federal contractor discrimination and required firms to certify they don’t operate “illegal” DEI programs. This has caused confusion and concern among contractors.
Experts argue DEI policies helped provide access to government contracts despite structural barriers. Wendell Stemley, president of the National Association of Minority Contractors, criticized the false perception of DEI’s impact. “People want you to believe there’s this big program giving Black firms contracts, but that’s just not the case.”
Minority trade groups are considering legal action and lobbying for continued diversity efforts. “If you take away the little progress we’ve made, that’s not fair,” said Drexel Johnson, a California-based contractor.
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