On our Friday afternoon country roads drive, my mother-in-law (Laura) and I spotted several lone corn stalks growing amongst acres and acres of beans.  I have written about this scene before but the sight struck another chord within me as I continue to ponder the state of affairs of our participation program for minority and women-owned firms on our commercial construction sites in our marketplace.

The challenge to thrive and survive was heavy for these few corn stalks.  It was pretty obvious that they did not belong on this site.  They were different from the many bean plants that surrounded them.  The stalks looked strong and healthy but they were way short of the growth level of the corn stalks across the road.  For these few stalks to grow and bear fruit, they will need a helping hand from the bean bushes that surround them and the farmers that plow the field and harvest the crops must recognize that they will need to be handled differently.  Is it worth the trouble for a few more ears of corn or is the ultimate end benefit of helping these corn stalks survive much more than having a few extra ears of corn?  Who answers this question?

Lakeysha says in her Op-Ed in the Sunday post that we need an “economy and a society where everyone has a seat at the table.”  I love that thought and have been preaching that for years.  Even with our DEI efforts over the past several years, we really never quite accomplished this.  We invite minority and women-owned firms to participate but only–or let’s say mostly–on a second or third tier basis, not really having a voice in jobsite discussions and conditions nor were they offered a seat at the jobsite tables nor did we require the developers, GCs or owners to pay them promptly, or even within reason.  MWBE firms were lone corn stalks in a multi-acre bean field.  They were there, in the bean field, but the challenges to thrive and survive were many and certainly much greater than their majority partners.  In the end, most did not bear fruit (corn, profits), they did not advance to the level that they could compete and thrive on their own.  At the end of the project, the beans were harvested and the lone corn stalks were plowed under, never really known, lost and forgotten.  

And yes, I fully realize there are a few exceptions.  I am grateful for that.  We all can name a few and we would all name the same few.  In my work with the Contractor Loan Fund and with RISE CDFI, I can tell several success stories.  I wish those stories included bigger dollar numbers, more projects, stronger growth but they are success stories nonetheless.  When I started PEOPLE in early 2014, my vision was to help to create an environment where MWBE firms knew and helped each other, majority firms knew and helped MWBE firms, owners entered the picture and played a stronger role in helping the MWBE firms grow their capacity.  Help these corn stalks grow tall and green and sprout many beautiful yellow ears of corn. “Building capacity” were the key words back in 2014; they are the key words today.

We have now “paused” and are contemplating dismissing our DEI MWBE program completely.  Instead of lending a helping hand and guiding firms down the right “capacity” path we may be turning our heads and plowing forward, satisfied and very accepting of working in an unlevel field of beans with no intrusions from misplaced corn stalks.

Maybe I saw too much in those wayward corn stalks.  It is not the perfect analogy by any means but the sight was a stark reminder that we need something; we need an active program.  Minority owned firms–and really all small emerging businesses–need some level of support in all areas of business–accounting, back office, marketing, business development, cost control, project management, and securing adequate working capital.  They may not need “special treatment” but they do need “fair treatment.” 

If not, I fear for the beans and the corn and the many other vegetable fields; nothing will grow and prosper.  When I wrote about these misplaced cornstalks a year ago, the scene reminded me of a commercial construction site of twenty years ago, lots of beans (majority contractors and majority workers) and very few corn stalks (MWBE firms, minority workers).  The corn stalks stood out in a very high visibility fashion, under an intense spotlight.  Every move was analyzed, criticized, and controlled.  Are we returning to this?  It certainly appears that this is the path our city leaders are headed down–or should I say forced to head down.  Is our industry strong enough to step in and find a peaceful way to intervene?  Actually, in the future we are getting ready to define, the wayward corn stalks will never reach a site line above the beans–or they will not be in the field at all, any field.

Personally, I am all for helping all small businesses–regardless of minority status.  My definition of small businesses though is $1M and under (gross revenues) with a heavy emphasis on firms starting up and searching for assistance in reaching $100K in gross revenue.  I seem to be a lone corn stalk in a bean field with this way of thinking.

The next few months are crucial in the lives of many of the small MWBE firms I know.  The “pause” alone will cause many to lose their business.  A permanent halt to the program without some form of reasonable replacement program will be devastating for so many good people inching their way to success.  I respectfully propose that this is a high priority issue for our city and for our industry and sincerely hope those in charge feel the same.