![]() ![]() So is allowing businesses to mix and match minorities to reach the 51% threshold.” “Even though there are those (like the City) who treat members of these groups as a monolithic ‘BIPOC,’ all should agree that these four racial groups have very different experiences and histories,” the lawsuit reads. ![]() The lawsuit argues that the program, which defines a “minority individual” as someone who is “Black or African American,” “Hispanic American,” “Asian American” or “Indigenous or Native American,” is in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. And it’s not like they only had one meeting there were several meetings,” Harris said, adding that no such concerns were presented during any of the meetings.īut for Tridentis, meetings do not override law. “It’s not genuine because if someone had a real issue with the way the process was going to be, those meetings were the opportunity to be able to come and weigh in. In Harris’ view, the lawsuit was political in nature, as Tridentis did not engage with the city during the community meetings that were held as the program was being developed. The meetings offered business owners throughout the city an opportunity to learn about the upcoming grant and provide feedback. Kevin Harris, founder of the Alexandria Minority Business Association, noted that the city hosted several engagement meetings before rolling out the final program. Instead, we will review options to use this funding to meet the needs of our diverse small business community in a more comprehensive and sustainable way, and look forward to launching a program that achieves that goal,” the statement continues. “Upon review of the lawsuit and the program, we have decided we will not launch the program as currently proposed. However, the statement also said that Alexandria remains focused on finding equitable solutions to address the issues facing residents and that more details will be available “in the coming months.” 13, the city released another statement, saying it would not launch the program in its current state. 24, the city initially said in a statement that the program would be placed on hold while it evaluated the lawsuit. “Plaintiff, a business in Alexandria who wants to apply for the program but is excluded because its owner is the wrong race, is entitled to relief.” “The Equal Protection Clause prohibits Alexandria from discriminating based on race, and this express racial exclusion cannot possibly satisfy strict scrutiny,” the lawsuit reads. ![]() Tridentis claimed in the lawsuit that the program would have been “blatantly illegal.” The program would have allowed eligible businesses – or those with at least 51% Black, indigenous and people of color ownership – to apply for grant funding from $1,000 to $7,000 on a first come, first served basis. 10, recipients were to be announced in March and grants were to be distributed in April. ![]() The lawsuit came just before the program was set to open applications on Jan. Now, residents and city officials are working to figure out how to revive the program – legally, this time. The City of Alexandria recently pumped the brakes on a small business program aimed at supporting minority owned organizations after Tridentis, a local engineering firm, filed a lawsuit alleging that the program violated the Fourteenth Amendment by excluding the firm’s white owner. ![]()
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