Rhode Island’s Black Business Association issued a failing grade to the state and called for elected leaders to take urgent action to fix a broken system that minimally awards contracts to Black and minority owned businesses.
“This has to stop now. This whole thing about, ‘Oh, well we’ll do better next year.’ Next year is here, today,” said Jim Vincent, president of the NAACP Providence branch.
Standing on the state house steps, RIBBA members and supports pointed to the Disparity Study recently released by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Opportunity (ODEO).
The study, authorized under then Gov. Gina Raimondo, was released on Tuesday, a sluggishly slow eight months after it was finished. It also cost a bundle of taxpayer money.
“The state of Rhode Island spent $500,000 to study something that we already knew,” said Rep. Marcia Ranglin-Vassell, a Providence lawmaker.
The study found evidence of discrimination in the state agencies contracting with black and minority owned companies and sub-contractors, despite a 35-year-old law that stipulates 10% of all procurement dollars should be allocated to minority and women owned businesses.
“This law has been on the books since 1986. You heard me correctly, 1986, and guess what? We just heard they complied with that law twice 2018 and 2019, how conveniently, right?” asked Lisa Ranglin, RIBBA’s executive director.
The report also found state agencies haven’t even maintained data on subcontractors. The Black Business association called for elected leaders to take action and establish a compliance office outside of government as a watchdog.
Gov. Dan McKee said at his weekly press conference that he’s fully committed to increasing diversity and minority business participation in the state procurement process and knows it will take an intentional strategy to get there.
McKee’s press secretary, Alana O’Hare, told NBC 10 News the governor expects to announce a new director of the Office of Diversity, Equity & Opportunity next week.
“This work requires all stakeholders to have a voice, and that is why the Department of Administration and Office of Diversity, Equity and Opportunity (ODEO) hosted briefings on the study last week, with one specifically for stakeholders and another for all certified MBEs in Rhode Island. ODEO will continue to consult with and solicit feedback from stakeholders to determine what can be done to improve the MBE Program, make it more accessible for the MBE community, and increase the utilization rate,” said O’Hare.
McKee’s office said a review of the report is ongoing.
