On March 5, 2024, a Texas federal judge issued a ruling about the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), the sole federal agency dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises. This ruling states that the MBDA may not presume social disadvantage based upon race without sufficient evidence of discrimination. Therefore, the MBDA can no longer limit programming to minorities the agency presumes to be disadvantaged.
Read the 93-page court decision and MBDA statement here:
The Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) and Washington State Department of Transportation Office of Equity and Civil Rights (WSDOT) are hosting this joint listening session to hear concerns and answer questions from the diverse business community.
This court case is similar to a previous July 2023 ruling in Tennessee, which focused on the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development program and the racial presumption of disadvantage. Both cases took place after the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2023 ruling impacting affirmative action programs in college admissions.
When: Thursday, May 9 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: Virtual on Microsoft Teams