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(7/7/10): City of Cincinnati Released Devastating Minority Inclusion Numbers |
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The 2010 first quarter (January thru March) SBE contract award report shows that 99.2% of over $144 million in contracts awarded by the City of Cincinnati went to White owned businesses. Minority businesses were awarded $242,377 or 0.2%. The total number of contracts awarded to African American businesses does not exceed $150,000. "The civil rights movement is now about the desegregation of the dollar," Smitherman says.
July 7, 2010 . Cincinnati NAACP Media Release . Council Member Charlie Winburn provided the Cincinnati NAACP with the most updated 2010 SBE contract award report. These numbers reflect OPEN CINCINNATI'S recommendations to the City of Cincinnati. The Cincinnati NAACP did not agree that any study needed to be provided to the Mayor and City Council regarding access to contracts for African Americans. The City of Cincinnati spent $500,000 on a Croson Study in 2002 which shows a pattern of institutional racism by Cincinnati city government in awarding contracts to African Americans. Open Cincinnati was created to shield Mayor Mark Mallory (D) in his reelection bid for Mayor against Dr. Brad Wenstrup (R). "When elected officials are in trouble they create commissions and studies to deflect from their accountability. This perspective was shared by the Cincinnati NAACP with all parties involved who got paid $160,000. Open Cincinnati now must take some responsibility in the failure of the City of Cincinnati to achieve minority inclusion," Christopher Smitherman, president of the Cincinnati NAACP says. . The 2002 Croson Study is posted on the Cincinnati NAACP website www.naacpcincinnati.org. The official report from the City of Cincinnati for the date range of 1-1-10 to 3-31-10 will be added to the Cincinnati NAACP website immediately for review. The bottom line is $144,425,770 (million) are the total number of contracts awarded during the above time frame. White businesses received $143,242,501 (million) of all awarded contracts for the above time frame. This means 99.2% of all contracts awarded by the City of Cincinnati went to White businesses. Minority businesses were awarded $242,377 or 0.2%. The total number of contracts awarded to African American businesses does not exceed $150,000. "Open Cincinnati and the City of Cincinnati have failed. Cincinnati continues to practice institutional economic racism against African American people. The Cincinnati NAACP will announce its response to these devastating numbers after its August 2010 board meeting. The civil rights movement is now about the desegregation of the dollar," Smitherman says. |