NAACP Calls Next Mayor to Address Minority Contracts

The Nashville NAACP wants the next mayor to act immediately to fix the disproportionately low number of Metro contracts going to minority-owned businesses.

The issue of minority contracts has been raised throughout the campaign. Both former Congressman Bob Clement and former Metro Law director Karl Dean have committed to passing meaningful legislation once in office.

Outgoing Metro Councilmember Brenda Gilmore says the current mayor, Bill Purcell, never introduced legislation even after a second disparity study confirmed the first: that the Metro budget is largely spent with white male-owned businesses.

“With all of those millions of dollars, only 3.5-percent is going to women, minorities and disadvantaged business.”

Legislation aimed at reducing discrimination of minority-owned businesses was finally introduced by council members but eventually killed this summer by questions of cost to the city.

Part of the urgency comes from census data that show the number of black-owned businesses in Nashville grew by 14-percent while they grew 45-percent nationally.

Officials with the NAACP plan to meet (Wednesday/tomorrow) with the mayor-elect, whomever he will be.