A federal judge in Texas has ruled that the U.S. Minority Business Development Agency, founded during the Nixon administration, must avail itself to disadvantaged entrepreneurs of all races and ethnicities, including whites.

The summary judgment rendered on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, appointed in 2019 by then-President Donald Trump, was the latest in a recent series of federal court decisions rolling back decades of affirmative action programs aimed at remedying racial discrimination.

Pittman, a judge in the Forth Worth branch of the Northern Texas District, sided with two white businessmen who sued the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), a branch of the Commerce Department, last year after being denied benefits on the basis of race.

The plaintiffs were told they were ineligible for agency assistance because they were not members of any of the races or ethnicities included on a list of qualified minorities presumed to be disadvantaged and thus entitled to services, according to the judge’s summary of the case.

  • eatthecake@lemmy.world
    2·
    4 months ago

    Texas already offers help for small business regardless of minority status:

    The Governor’s Office of Small Business Assistance and the Business Permit Office assist small and medium Texas businesses through advocacy, entrepreneurial support, education and technical assistance. The team serves as a focal point in the state for start-ups and small businesses of all sizes in urban, suburban and rural communities. The offices offer a variety of services, including assistance with permitting, licensing and regulatory compliance, small business resource referrals and informational small business webinars and events.

    If a society is to properly serve the needs of all it’s members then it must recognise that those needs differ, sometimes due to historical and ongoing abuse of certain groups. A one size fits all approach to social services is not going to work. Targeted help is needed and when racism is a factor then that help will naturally reflect the problem.