Nashville government reported that it spent $49 million during the first year of its Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) program – but Asians didn’t make the list. $30 million reportedly went to women business enterprises, and $19 million went to minority business enterprises. The report noted that it had a 250 percent participation increase with Black, Brown, and women-owned subcontractors.
Metro released the annual report on the EBO initiative earlier this month. Notably, the report doesn’t mention expenditures with Asian-owned businesses. The Tennessee Star inquired with EBO spokespersons about this detail. They didn’t respond by press time.
According to the latest government census records, Asians represented roughly 4 percent of the Nashville-Davidson population. By comparison: over 27 percent were reported as Black or African American, over 10 percent were Hispanic or Latino, and half a percent were either Native American or Alaska Native.
Per the report, White female-owned businesses received over $29.8 million, Native American male-owned businesses received over $14.8 million, Black male-owned businesses received over $2.8 million, Black female-owned businesses received $915,000, and Hispanic male-owned businesses received nearly $659,000.
The certified directory of minority businesses underneath the breakdown of subcontractor contract participation noted that there were 54 owned by Asians, 196 owned by African Americans, 28 owned by Hispanics, and 4 owned by Native Americans.
A disparity study relied upon by Metro government to inform its EBO efforts noted that Asian Americans were amongst those groups that were underutilized in prime contracting, subcontracting,
EBO began in July 2019, signed into law by previous Mayor David Briley. Its express goal was to make Metro government “race and gender conscious” in all of its purchases.
The previous race and gender-neutral program, Procurement Non-discrimination Program (PNP), only had a 6 percent participation program – as compared to the 21 percent accomplished by the EBO this past fiscal year.
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Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or send tips to [email protected].
I suspect ‘Asian’ pertains to all of Asia including Eastern, Western, and maybe even Eurasians. It’s a.big place.
Nothing about the racial consciousness if today is going to end well. As Jill, someone I used to know well once said, “It’s all about me”. She quit talking to me after what I said back to her.
The ridiculous focus on race identity policies is making me ill.
This seems a bit ridiculous to pick winners and losers when Nashville continues to raise property taxes and other fees as they are broke. At what point are they going to stop these types of programs and get back to the task of improving the city for EVERYONE and tackling the difficult problems, such as traffic and homelessness.
So, tell me, again, how we’re supposed to treat everyone equally while we’re creating advantages and disadvantages based on color and gender?
It’s not about equality. It’s just being sold as that.
Asians are usually independent, hard workers and successful. They do not live off government affirmative action giveaway programs. They make it on there own. Asians do not believe they are owed anything, like some minority groups that you will never be able to give enough because they will never even satisfied.