The Dispatch is encouraged to be a voice for diversity and inclusion
We write to express our collective disappointment and outrage regarding the May 14 Columbus Dispatch editorial: “City must take care in favoring minority contractors.” Referring to Mayor Andrew J. Ginther’s efforts to combat inequities for minority- and women-owned businesses, The Dispatch commented: “As well-intended as his order may be, the mayor would be wise to direct those granting city contracts to minority and women vendors to make sure they are well-suited for the work they are hired to do.”
The editorial concluded that “care must be taken to ensure that anyone whose work is funded by the city is first and foremost capable of doing the job.”
The immediate impact of this editorial has been to cast undue and unfair suspicion upon the competence of every minority- and women-owned business that does business with the city of Columbus. Women, African Americans and other minorities continue to endure having our competence and work ethic questioned simply because we are not white and male.
Despite individual successes of minority and female businesses, our qualifications continue to be questioned along the way.
Now our hometown newspaper has put into writing that which has always been unwritten: if you are an African American or female business owner receiving contracts from the city, extra scrutiny is warranted to ensure that we are “well suited” for the work.
The Dispatch has added insult to the injury already caused by the COVID-19 virus to minority- and women-owned businesses. Economic downturns throughout history, including our very recent past, demonstrate a disproportionate impact on our businesses. We can safely assume inequity will look worse in a recession without intentional efforts to minimize that. Therefore, The Dispatch should applaud Mayor Ginther for taking a stand to move the needle. Instead you have criticized his bold actions in a way that is sure to stoke racial and political divisions in our community.
We would be remiss if we did not also express our appreciation to Editor Alan Miller for hearing our concerns and acting immediately by removing the editorial from The Dispatch website. We acknowledge and accept your public apology on behalf of The Dispatch organization on Wednesday. This is a good start — but additional steps must be taken. We believe the editorial was a result less of ill intent but of an organization that is without sufficient diversity among its reporters, editors and opinion writers — and lack of cultural sensitivity training.
We call on The Dispatch to learn from this incident and engage in racial equity training and add diversity to its reporting and editorial staff.
The Dispatch is in a unique position in Columbus to impact racial equity and inclusion. Rather than question the competence of minority and female businesses, The Dispatch, more than any other entity in central Ohio, has the ability to celebrate racial and gender justice and equality.
The Dispatch can be a leader in this regard just like other publications around the country. In a time when COVID-19 further widens the disparity gap, The Dispatch can provide a leadership role in educating and informing its readers of racial and gender inequalities. The government cannot by itself close the disparity gap; it requires leadership in the private sector and public sector to join arms together to achieve the message behind the spiritual anthem of the civil rights movement, “We Shall Overcome.”
We look forward to working with Dispatch leadership in the weeks and months ahead so that they can grow as an essential media outlet and so that we can all grow as a community as a result of this incident.
Christie Angel, Jennifer Beard, U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce, Mark Cain, Duane Casares, former Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Dwain Davis, Wanda Dillard, Councilwoman Shayla Favor, Frances Frazier, Kimberly Gayle, Raymond Greene, Council President Shannon Hardin, Stephanie Hightower, Charles Hill, Mary Howard, Gregory Jefferson, Dr. Keisha J. Hunley-Jenkins, Dr. Mark Lomax, the Rev. Timothy E. Liggins, Steven Miller, Curtis J. Moody (FAIA), Jonathan Moody, Toshia Safford, E. Gayle Saunders, Jerry Saunders, Tei Y. Street, Melinda Swan, Councilwoman Priscilla Tyson, Valerie Ridgeway
Women business owners highlight their contributions and impact
As women and women business owners, we take offense at, and must take a firm stand against, the opinion expressed in the May 14 Dispatch editorial, “City must take care in favoring minority contractors,” in reference to Mayor Ginther’s executive order accelerating the formation of initiatives that assist in improving the equity of city contract awards to women- and minority-owned businesses, based on results of a 2019 disparity study.
The Dispatch editorial board asserted that such businesses should undergo extra scrutiny to determine their suitability for the work before awarding contracts.
Alan Miller, the editor of the Dispatch, issued an online apology to the African American community on Wednesday and pledged to fight racism in-house and in general. Egregiously and inexcusably absent was an apology to women and women business owners and any effort on The Dispatch’s part to fight gender bias.
In this year 2020 that we celebrate the 100th anniversary of women obtaining the right to vote, it is especially outrageous that the Dispatch editorial board would perpetuate the myth and stereotype that women-owned businesses are less competent to perform the work in city contracts. In addition, they malign women business owners as lacking integrity in forming legitimate companies.
Simply, members of the Dispatch editorial board should know better than to single out any business demographic in terms of competence and integrity. Processes are in place to vet vendors and, if they are properly executed, the chaff will be separated from the wheat. It is clear that The Dispatch itself needs to have a much more robust vetting process to review opinion pieces for racist and sexist bias before publishing them.
Such a process requires diversity in top leadership and on the Dispatch editorial board, which you have promised you would do, but it is imperative that you include more women, of all races.
The barriers that WOBs face in establishing and growing their businesses are nontrivial and the Dispatch editorial board would have additional barriers erected that further inhibit equitable treatment.
The contribution of WOBs to the Ohio economy is also nontrivial (NAWBO Columbus, Wealth Gap Data Analysis, 2019, Measurement Resources Co.):
• Over 306,000 WOBs
• $29 billion in revenues
• $9.5 billion in payroll
• 333,000 jobs created
• WOBs hire more employees for their size of business than men-owned businesses
The wealth gap between WOBs and men-owned businesses in Ohio (NAWBO Columbus, Wealth Gap Data Analysis, 2019, Measurement Resources Co.):
• 78% less revenue
• 85% less in payroll
• 72% fewer WOBs with revenue over $1 million
Effects of COVID-19 on central Ohio WOBs (NAWBO Columbus, The Impact of COVID-19 on Women-Owned Businesses, May 2020, Measurement Resources Co.):
• Fewer than half (46%) were considered essential businesses
• 26% laid off or furloughed staff
• 66% experienced decreased revenue
• 33% are uncertain of return of revenue
• Common types of WOBs are disproportionately affected by business closures (consulting, professional/legal services, personal care, event planning, restaurant) and also do not qualify for federal EIDL or PPP programs
• 43+% women business owners have children at home who need care and schooling
Benefits of investing in initiatives to identify and remove barriers women-owned business face and to close the wealth gap (NAWBO Columbus, Wealth Gap Data Anaylsis, 2019, Measurement Resources Co.):
• Ohio WOBs would generate an additional $104 billion in annual revenues
• Would create more than 1.4 million jobs
• “Businesses founded by women ultimately deliver higher revenue — more than twice as much as per dollar invested — than those founded by men, making women-owned companies better investments for financial backers.” (The Boston Consulting Group, Why Women-Owned Startups are a Better Bet)
It’s clear that initiatives that work to level the playing field for WOBs benefit local, state and federal economies.
We call for the Dispatch editorial board to:
1. recognize the benefit of such initiatives and support women- and minority-owned businesses.
2. retract its statement targeting such businesses as needing extra scrutiny before being awarded city contracts, along with the negative implications regarding their competence for fulfilling contracts and their integrity in establishing their companies.
3. ensure diversity in their top leadership and editorial board, to include women, of all races.
The Ohio Women’s Business Coalition, a collaborative of women doing business in Central Ohio, supported by K. Zulene Adams, Z-Promotions; Betty Collins, Brady Ware & Co and NAWBO Columbus; Jeanne Gokcen, Future-Com Technologies; Kelley Griesmer, The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio; Angel Harris, Dress for Success; Jona Hilario; Sheri Chaney Jones, Measurement Resources; Merry Korn, Pearl Interactive; Leslie Kulis, SCORE; Chansovan Long; Lisa Crilley Mallis; Mary McCarthy, Your Management Team and WSBA; Mary B. Relotto, Thrive Columbus; Barb Smoot, WELD
In a time when COVID-19 further widens the disparity gap, The Dispatch can provide a leadership role in educating and informing its readers of racial and gender inequalities. The government cannot by itself close the disparity gap; it requires leadership in the private sector and public sector to join arms together to achieve the message behind the spiritual anthem of the civil rights movement, “We Shall Overcome.”
“Businesses founded by women ultimately deliver higher revenue — more than twice as much as per dollar invested — than those founded by men, making women-owned companies better investments for financial backers.” (The Boston Consulting Group, Why Women-Owned Startups are a Better Bet) It’s clear that initiatives that work to level the playing field for WOBs benefit local, state and federal economies.