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.

    • PriorityMotif@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      They can just limit it to geographic areas or certain neighborhoods and it will have the same effect. Technically not based on race, but still serving the exact same people.

      • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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        8 months ago

        It’s ok for there to be programs that aren’t focused on poor white people because other traits are causing disadvantage.

        • harderian729@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Not today, no.

          Wealth is the biggest determining factor for success and upward mobility.

          Poor whites do not have it easier than wealthier blacks. They need help just as poor blacks do.

          I don’t expect you to understand this, though.

          • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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            8 months ago

            It’s ok for there to be programs that aren’t focused on poor white people because other traits are causing disadvantage.

            • harderian729@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              Like disabilities? Absolutely.

              Race? No. Not today. All of the racial issues that prevent upward mobility stem from fiscal ones.

              Supporting poor blacks over poor whites only adds fuel to the fire and justifies their distrust of the system.

              Crazy how things are going backwards, lol.

              • ReluctantMuskrat@lemmy.world
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                8 months ago

                I wish your belief that racism didn’t effect people’s abilities to get jobs, loans, education, etc where true but alas it’s not. You of course supplied not evidence that such problems no longer exist.

                If you worked at a staffing agency for a little while you’d discover pretty quickly there are still companies that won’t hire people of color. As bad as it used to be? No, but racism is still present, and employment is just one of myriad of issues POC still face.

              • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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                8 months ago

                Edit, instead of continuing the bit: Sorry my eyes are stuck after rolling too hard at your expert opinion that race no longer causes issues separate from not having enough money. Won’t someone think of the poor racists and coddle their prejudices??