Sen. James Meeks, one of the candidates for mayor , started a firestorm last week.
Initially, he said that only African-American businesses should be considered for contracts with the city under the programs for minorities and women. When the spit hit the fan, he amended that to include Hispanic and Asian-Americans — but not white women.
Finally, without ever admitting his “mistake”, he indicated that all minorities — including white women — should be considered for government contracts under the city’s procurement program that established goals of 25 percent for minorities and 5 percent for women.
As a citizen and as a candidate for mayor, Meeks is entitled to his opinions. However, when incendiary comments are made by a fiery orator, they are scary. When they are made by a mayoral candidate with a following, they become dangerous.
Contrary to his personal view that only African Americans have suffered discrimination, courts throughout this nation have found otherwise; that, in fact, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Arab Americans, American Indians, women and persons with disabilities, have all suffered from discriminatory practices.
Those rulings have provided the constitutional basis for the minority/women/disadvantaged business enterprise programs in Chicago as well as the state of Illinois. These programs dictate that eligible minority and women-owned businesses shall be entitled to a percentage of government contracts.
We would certainly hope that whoever is elected the mayor of this great city would respect the rule of law and maintain the program that serves to provide job and business opportunities to all Chicagoans and not just a select few.
While Meeks, the candidate, has backpedaled, amplified, calibrated and obfuscated, his position as originally stated, was that only African-American owned businesses should be eligible for the set-aside programs for city contracts.
If economic opportunity programs are tossed out by misguided politicians for erroneous reasons, then thousands of small businesses and business investment will be lost. And jobs will be lost while communities suffer.
The Meeks proposal would not only be counterproductive, but a crushing blow to Chicago’s economy, to job creation, and to the sustainability of minority and women-owned businesses in Chicago. It also greatly undervalues over 25 years of progressive policies that enhance our economy and the growth and success of all minority and women-owned businesses (and that certainly includes women of color).
The affirmative action business opportunity goals established protected and fought for by Mayor Richard Daley and the business community of Chicago keeps the accelerator going and steers Chicago’s economic engine.
Minority and women -owned small businesses in Chicago are our economy’s driving force — employing large numbers of people, creating new jobs, and starting and growing sustainable businesses that do both.
Those of us who have dedicated our lives and careers to supporting and encouraging economic and community development and the support, sustainability and growth of minority and women-owned businesses believe that the city’s affirmative action contracting goals must be inclusive — not exclusive .
Divisive rhetoric has no place in the discourse of the campaign for our next mayor. Unfortunately, African Americans, Hispanics, women, Asians, Arab Americans and other marginalized groups still face very serious discrimination in the business world. We must all continue to work toward resolving the very real issue of discrimination and support Affirmative Action programs for all minorities and women as an effective tool to help communities.
If we are truly concerned about our city’s economy, we must look hard at the threats to economic development and opportunity programs and eliminate those threats.
We must work together to support and sustain those programs so critical to a healthy economy— mayoral race or no mayoral race.
Hedy M. Ratner is co-president of Women’s Business Development Center; Beth Doria is executive director of the Federation of Women Contractors; Omar Duque is CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Tuyet Le is executive director of the Asian American Institute; Eric Mah is president of the Association of Asian Contractor Enterprises. All are based in Chicago.
