There are 27 article(s) tagged Minority Business:

• April 2023

  • Future of Metro Plaza redevelopment up in the air

    The Shelby County Commission postponed indefinitely a plan to buy the Metro Shopping Plaza, which is on the northwest corner of E.H. Crump Boulevard and Danny Thomas Boulevard.

    By Bill Dries April 04, 2023

• February 2023

  • County Commission Scorecard: Tyre Nichols, green fleet goals and more

    This Commission Scorecard covers calls at the Feb. 6 meeting for police reform in the wake of the death of Tyre Nichols and the political clash with protesters and activists who pushed for more than resolutions.

    By Bill Dries February 14, 2023

• August 2022

  • Minority business contracting plan approved by county commission

    The commission also approved Monday, Aug. 8, a resolution that urges local law enforcement make their lowest priority the enforcement of the state’s new abortion law that takes effect later this month.

    By Bill Dries August 08, 2022

• July 2022

  • County Commission plans new minority- and women-owned business program

    Approved Wednesday were requirements to rotate architecture and engineering firms on smaller county projects and a joint venture requirement for large construction projects.

    By Bill Dries July 06, 2022

• February 2022

  • City Council to vote on $5 million for Tom Lee Park

    Council members also will meet Marvell Mitchell, the CEO of a local software company, who is the new leader of the city division that keeps track of how much business city government does with minority contractors and businesses. 

    By Bill Dries February 01, 2022

• November 2021

  • One Beale lawsuit over minority participation points to larger problems

    The Black-owned multi-family developer who partnered with Carlisle Development on part of the One Beale project and the nearby 7 Vance mixed-use development is taking Carlisle to court as the issue of minority participation in general moves back to the front burner.

    By Bill Dries November 05, 2021

  • Council members question city’s minority spend

    The percentage is a calculation that excludes the city’s spend in areas where it is determined there are no local minority businesses.

    By Bill Dries November 02, 2021

• September 2021

  • Violence intervention program gets new director in Strickland shake-up

    The head of the city’s Office of Business Diversity and Compliance is also leaving her position.

    By Bill Dries September 24, 2021

  • MMBC awarded grant to help minority-owned businesses

    The Mid-South Minority Business Council Continuum also received a one-year Coronavirus Response and Relief Program grant to provide information and best practices to support minority firms affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    By Christin Yates September 18, 2021

• June 2021

  • Commission Republicans take back votes opposing critical race theory ban

    Republican county commissioners who voted two weeks ago in favor of a resolution urging Gov. Bill Lee to veto a ban on teaching critical race theory took back their yes votes Monday. The resolution still passed.

    By Bill Dries June 08, 2021

  • Council approves extension of disparity study

    Memphis City Council members voted Tuesday, June 1, to extend the city’s five-year old disparity study another two years.

    By Bill Dries June 01, 2021

  • City budget, tax rate votes await further details on federal funding

    The Tuesday council session includes discussion about proposed home improvement grants, an extension of the contract with the company that runs Liberty Bowl stadium for the city and a delay until June 15 on final votes that would set the city budget and property tax rate.

    By Bill Dries June 01, 2021

• April 2021

  • City Council Scorecard: Old motorcycles, pipeline distances and minority business

    The City Council Scorecard focuses on a short-lived plan to give old police motorcycles to Collierville, a first vote on a pipeline measure and qualms about setting a minority business percentage.

    By Bill Dries April 27, 2021

• November 2020

  • County Commission may offer first reviews of pandemic restrictions

    The Monday commission session also features a move toward a new disparity study in awarding county government contracts and a decision on increasing county funding to the conservancy that operates and maintains Shelby Farms Park on county land.

    By Bill Dries November 23, 2020

  • County settles minority contracting lawsuit, agrees to end program

    Shelby County government has settled a lawsuit by mechanical contractors with a payment of $331,950 and an agreement to end the program that gives a preference to minority businesses in awarding county government contracts.

    By Bill Dries November 09, 2020

• October 2020

  • City Council talks riverfront tower project and record homicide count

    The Tuesday city council session will also include a call for more information about the percentage of city contracts that minority-owned businesses get.

    By Bill Dries October 20, 2020

• September 2020

  • Airport board extends disputed security contract

    The Memphis airport has renewed its contract with Allied Universal for security guards, deflecting a protest that Allied’s local subcontractor, Top Notch Security, should be awarded the job.

    By Wayne Risher September 17, 2020

• May 2020

  • Fred Davis, charter city council member and black business advocate, dies at 86

    Fred Davis was an early advocate of black-owned business growth even before the city had a majority African American population. He was also on the city council during the 1968 sanitation workers strike.

    By Bill Dries May 12, 2020

• April 2020

  • Minority business owners adjusting to COVID-19 challenges

    With revenues dropping off significantly due to the pandemic, minority business owners are hoping adding online services can help the bridge the gap until it ends. 

    By Omer Yusuf April 08, 2020

• March 2020

  • Council vote narrows on minority business question

    The online vote changed the City Council’s method of debating items and rounding up votes. But the issue remains a constant in council deliberations whether in person or online.

    By Bill Dries March 26, 2020

  • City Council online meeting features minority-business spending clash

    No one was at City Hall for the meeting which was all on-line except for roll call votes by voice on matters for an institution that has had electronic voting for nearly 40 years.

    By Bill Dries March 25, 2020

• August 2019

  • Airport sets stakeholder session for disadvantaged businesses

    An informational meeting is scheduled Thursday, Sept. 5, for disadvantaged, minority and women-owned businesses interested in competing for contracts at Memphis International Airport.

    By Wayne Risher August 29, 2019

• June 2019

  • Strickland: City, county build case for better MATA

    Mayor Jim Strickland talks about improving MATA as former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young discusses how a mass transit system was built there beginning in the 1970's. 

    By Bill Dries June 26, 2019

• April 2019

  • Downtown sees surge in minority owners after lowering development loan costs

    After increasing the amount and lowering the cost of its development loan program last year, more than 50% of approved applicants for the Downtown Memphis Commission’s development loan program have been minorities. 

    By Michelle Corbet April 29, 2019

• March 2019

  • City Hall’s 2018 minority spend miscalculated, lower than 2017

    Mayor Jim Strickland's administration conceded a "clerical error" in its minority spending numbers Thursday, saying the city actually spent 17.7 percent of its money in 2018 with women- and minority-owned businesses rather than the 24 percent previously touted by Strickland.

    By Bill Dries March 14, 2019