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The Cincinnati NAACP unfortunately must inform the African American Community that the 2009 SBE numbers are shameful.  The 2007-2009 official reports are posted on the Cincinnati NAACP website in a PDF file that can be downloaded and printed for your personal review.  The City of Cincinnati over 2007-2009 spent $1,532,580,154.  White males got $1,480,930,211!  The African American Community in 2009 got less than 0.8% of total contracts. 

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Over 80% of the total amount spent by the city are in two areas- professional services and supplies.  The Mayor and City Council have failed.  "Angry would not be the appropriate word for how I feel after reading these numbers.  Black children are killing each other in the streets for money and the Mayor is in China saying he is looking to put African Americans to work.  All the Mayor had to do is call the Black City Manager and tell him to extend contracts to Black people,"  Christopher Smitherman, president of the Cincinnati NAACP says.

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Council Member Chris Bortz said he was mad that the Cincinnati NAACP has called the City of Cincinnati's practice to exclude African American lawyers, financial planners, accountants, engineers from contracts racist.  The Cincinnati NAACP raised this crisis to the attention of the City of Cincinnati three years ago after reviewing the 2006 numbers.   Mr. Bortz did nothing.  The City of Cincinnati is actively practicing institutional racism.  On Monday Mr. Bortz said African Americans do not have the capacity to get the contracts.  The City of Cincinnati wants the African American community to believe that African American professionals do not exist.  "These numbers are so bad and embarrassing to the City of Cincinnati. This is an issue that the African American Community can not afford to loose.  The Cincinnati NAACP will do everything in its power to break economic apartheid so that African Americans can live, Smitherman says.