D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie (I-At Large) said that a recently released disparity study designed to examine the process of how Black businesses fare when trying to obtain city government contracts is needed to set up a new contracting program.
McDuffie supported the need for a disparity study about four years ago and secured the funding for it in the District’s fiscal year 2021 budget. The study looked at both prime and subcontracts awarded between Oct. 1, 2016, through Sept. 20, 2020, with an analysis of about $8 billion in contracts throughout the District government, Events DC, and the University of the District of Columbia.
“The completion of the disparity study is a significant milestone for our city,” said McDuffie, who chairs the council’s Committee on Business and Economic Development. “I funded a disparity study in the fiscal year 2021, recognizing the pressing need for effective tools to advance racial equity and economic security in our city. The study’s findings confirm what we already knew and provide us with the legal framework necessary to take the crucial steps towards establishing a genuine minority and women business enterprise program in the nation’s capital.”
The council member noted the completion of the disparity study as a significant milestone for the District.
“The study shows that we have minority and women-owned businesses ready, willing, and able to complete the work we need,” he said. “However, those businesses are not being awarded a fair share of the work. This inequity must be addressed to ensure everyone in our city has a fair shot.”