The Black Informant | African American Commentary, News and Community Building

(insidebayarea.com) OAKLAND — Black-owned construction firms are not getting their fair share of city contracts, according to a long-awaited study released Friday by city officials.

In addition, the study of about $244 million worth of city deals between 2002 and 2005, found African-American firms received too few professional services contracts.

However, the study found no disparity in the number of architecture and engineering and goods contracts awarded to black-owned companies.

African-American leaders have long contended their businesses have been discriminated against by city officials, and passed over for lucrative contracts to benefit favored firms.

The study, conducted by Oakland-based Mason Tillman and Associates, also found Asian-owned firms received their fair share of construction, architecture and engineering and goods and other service contracts, but not professional service agreements.

In addition, the study found a disparity in the number of goods and other services contracts awarded to Latino-owned firms, but found they got an adequate number of contracts in other areas.

Although black-owned construction companies make up 20.6 percent of all businesses in Oakland, they won only 7.86 percent of the city’s construction contracts under $500,000.

By comparison, Asian-owned construction firms make up 7.13 percent of the city’s businesses, but won 12.45 percent of the city’s contracts.

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The study also includes interviews with 50 Oakland business owners who reported numerous incidents of discrimination based on their race as well as gender at the hands of city officials. Others said they found it hard to crack the city’s “good old boys” network of favored, mostly white contractors.

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While the data compiled by the study do provide evidence of discrimination, the interviews suggest much more racism in city contracting than proved by the study’s results, said Deborah Lusk-Barnes, the city’s manager of contract compliance and employment services. (more…)

Correct me if I am wrong here, but isn’t the bay area (Oakland/San Francisco) supposed to be the bed of modern Liberalism? And while you are thinking on that one, also keep in mind that San Francisco also has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the state.

The politicians have nothing to fear, for they will continue to be re-elected.