By U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.
| [WASHINGTON, DC ] June 4, 2025 — The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. firmly opposes the Trump Administration’s reported effort to dismantle a cornerstone of economic and educational opportunity in America: the $37 billion affirmative action program. For decades, this historic initiative has served as one of the most impactful tools for correcting systemic inequality, helping to open doors to government contracting, higher education, and upward mobility for historically marginalized communities, including Black Americans. Affirmative action programs have helped level a playing field that for centuries was anything but level. These programs have helped cultivate the first generations of Black doctors, engineers, lawyers, and entrepreneurs who, in turn, have reinvested in their communities and built intergenerational wealth. In the realm of business, federal contracting opportunities supported by affirmative action have provided thousands of Black-owned firms with the critical foothold needed to grow, hire, innovate, and compete in a marketplace that often overlooks them. This attempt to reverse progress threatens to extinguish that pipeline of opportunity, not just for today’s entrepreneurs and students, but for the generations who come after them. In a country that continues to experience deep disparities in access to capital, business development, and educational attainment, dismantling this program does not move us closer to equality; it cements inequity further. We call on elected leaders from both parties, community advocates, and the broader business community to reject this rollback and reaffirm their commitment to a more equitable and inclusive economy. The pursuit of equality is not a relic of the past; it is an urgent, unfinished mission. The future of our nation’s small business landscape and the economic empowerment of Black Americans depend on policies that open doors, not ones that close them. — U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.”Because when Black businesses thrive, all communities prosper.” |
About USBC: The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) provides committed, visionary leadership and advocacy in the realization of economic empowerment. Through the creation of resources and initiatives, we support a network of African American Chambers of Commerce and business organizations in their work of developing and growing Black enterprises. Learn more at usblackchambers.org. |
