Federal Judge Minority Business Agency Must Serve All Including Whites

07 Mar, 2024

Federal Judge Minority Business Agency Must Serve All Including Whites

In a recent court ruling in Texas, a federal judge, Mark T. Pittman, declared that the Minority Business Development Agency, a program under the Commerce Department, must extend its services to individuals of all races and ethnicities, including white people. The judge's decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed by three white business owners who challenged the agency's policy of limiting assistance to members of "disadvantaged" minority groups.

Judge Pittman, appointed by President Donald J. Trump, found that presuming the business owners were not disadvantaged violated the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the law. He permanently prohibited the agency from exclusively serving minority groups. The ruling follows a trend of court decisions challenging federal affirmative-action mandates, including a Supreme Court decision that impacted race-conscious college admissions programs.

The Department of Justice, representing the agency, has not commented on the ruling, while the National Urban League's president, Marc H. Morial, called for an immediate appeal. The plaintiffs' lawyer, Dan Lennington, sees the ruling as a precedent to challenge other race-conscious practices in various domains.

The case involved three white-owned businesses seeking assistance from the agency's business centers, which are funded by a $550 million annual budget. Despite potential implications for the agency's ability to support minority-owned businesses, critics argue that the challenges faced by these businesses persist due to a legacy of discrimination and disadvantage. The ruling may provoke broader discussions on the constitutionality of race-based eligibility criteria in government programs and initiatives.