*As the debate over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies intensifies, many Black business owners are voicing frustration, saying these initiatives have done little to provide them with meaningful opportunities.
While former President Joe Biden’s DEI policies aimed to promote equity in business and federal contracting, many Black entrepreneurs say the impact has been minimal, and the recent rollback of these initiatives under former President Donald Trump only adds to their concerns.
“DEI isn’t for us,” said Casey Cooper, a black woman who runs a long-haul trucking business in Virginia, per Newsbreak citing Daily Mail. “’It looks good on paper, but that money doesn’t go to us anyway.”
Despite Biden’s emphasis on DEI, she claims it never truly leveled the playing field for Black entrepreneurs.
Cooper has spent over a decade building her company, secured her first federal contract in 2017, and landed nearly $6 million in government contracts. However, many Black business owners have not had the same success, leading to skepticism about DEI policies’ real-world impact.
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Trump’s recent executive orders instruct government agencies to repeal previous DEI-related policies. Experts warn that these changes could further restrict opportunities for Black business owners.
Ken Harris, president and CEO of the National Business League, noted that while DEI policies have been flawed, they provided some access to federal contracts and opportunities in an otherwise exclusionary system.
“DEI policies, while far from perfect, provided a semblance of opportunity in an otherwise exclusionary system.”
Experts in government contracting and public policy agree that Black business owners have faced systemic barriers in securing federal contracts. While some gains were made under Biden, many entrepreneurs argue that DEI was never truly designed for them in the first place. Now, with DEI initiatives being rolled back, the uncertainty surrounding Black business opportunities has only deepened. Many Black entrepreneurs are left wondering whether any administration will implement policies that genuinely level the playing field for Black-owned businesses.
Wendell Stemley, president of the National Association of Minority Contractors, said a “good old boy network” keeps minority contractors from getting government projects.
“People want you to believe that, oh, the government got this big minority business program to give blacks these multitude of contracts,” said Stemley, owner of Black IPO Construction Management in San Diego. “That’s just not the way it works,” he added.
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