Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 10-9-20

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City Council Shows Historic Leadership And Respect For Blacks
Several months ago, the joint Tampa Organization of Black Affairs (TOBA) / Sat- urday Morning Breakfast Group (SMBG) Economic Development Committee, asked City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor to not allow contracts to be sent to Tampa City Council for ap- proval without showing a written commitment to in- tentionally spend (via achievable goals) City of Tampa funds with Black- owned companies.
The TOBA/SMBG com- mittee also asked the City of Tampa City Council not to approve contracts that did not intentionally include spending with Black- owned businesses. Along the way, several key actions have been taken to lay the foundation for making positive changes in this regard.
James Ransom, TOBA Board Member and Chair of the Economic Development Committee said, “First, we would like to especially thank the Hon. Orlando Gudes, City of Tampa, City Council Member for bringing Resolution Number 2020- 568 forward to his fellow City
JAMES RANSOM
Council Members (Hon. Guido Maniscalco, Coun- cil Chairman; Hon. Joseph Citro, Chair Pro Tem; Hon. John Dingfelder; Hon. Bill Carlson; Hon. Luis Viera and the Hon. Char- lie Miranda) for their col- lective leadership to better ensure diversity, equity, fair- ness and the economic inclu- sion of Blacks.”
The City Council voted in favor of the referendum on September 3, 2020 which (in part) reads as follows: “A res- olution acknowledging Tampa’s history which con- tributed to a complex system of racially motivated dis- crimination against Blacks; formally apologizing to all former and current Black residents of the City of
DR. LARRY SHANNON
Tampa for any and all past participation in the damage this shameful history has caused: declaring support for the creation of a reconcil- iation commission with a mission of studying and de- veloping proposals to re- dress the enduring negative efforts of the institutions of slavery and the subsequent systemic discrimination di- rected at Tampa’s Black res- idents by promoting racial and social equity; providing an effective date.”
“We also believe it is fit- ting and appropriate to ac- knowledge the unanimous vote by this City of Tampa, City Council in support of the said resolution. They will be recognized forever for taking this historic symbolic action.
It is also notable that Tampa City Council voted (unani- mously) to support the estab- lishment of a Reconciliation Commission,” said Dr. Larry Shannon, Vice Pres- ident of the SMBG.
“This City Council action sets a solid foundation for addressing real systemic problems (unemployment, hopelessness, injustice, in- equality, economic exclu- sion, disregard, disrespect, underrepresentation, etc.) that Blacks face daily in a city where Blacks represent ap- proximately 24% of the tax paying and voting popula- tion,” Ransom added. To help anchor the resolution, the full city council (led by Council Members Ding- felder, Gudes, Carlson and Maniscalco) rejected several multimillion-dollar contracts until the city ad- ministration presented spe- cific goals to spend City of Tampa funds directly with Black-owned businesses, among others. When the ad- ministration returned to City Council with the updated contract language, Council Member Dinfielder specif- ically asked the city staff about the amount of the Mi- nority Business Enterprise goal (which was 16%). City staff responded that 15% of
the stated goal is to be spent with Black-owned compa- nies. Council Member Gudes asked staff about who would be responsible for making sure that the stated goal would actually be achieved.
“We applaud Council Member Gudes and all his colleagues on city council for leveraging their influence to take these actions that lean towards significantly in- creasing the amount of City of Tampa spending with Black-owned businesses,” said Dr. Shannon.
There is also a push by city council to audit City of Tampa diversity spending overall. Ransom said, “We also acknowledge Mayor Castor and her executive team (led by John Ben- nett, Ocea Wynn, Carol Post and Jean Duncan) for their commitment to sup- port and implement changes to greatly improve City of Tampa spending with Black- owned companies. It’s too early to celebrate until there are results to measure. We do appreciate efforts to make diversity, equity, fairness, di- versity and the inclusion of Blacks normal business within the City of Tampa. In the interim, results matter!”
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