Texas court ruling on minority business designation ripples across the nation

It’s a ruling reverberating across the country — even if the ramifications aren’t yet clear. A U.S. District Court judge in Texas last week ruled that a federal agency created to assist minority business owners could not use race as a deciding factor in whom to serve, essentially forcing it to open to white entrepreneurs. Advertisement The Minority Business Development Agency, created in 1969, has offices across the country, which now must abide by the judge’s decision unless it is appealed. Resources like help getting federal contracts, business consulting services and access to grants and loans aimed at addressing opportunity gaps for minority businesses now must be available to businesses regardless of race. Advertisement Many people see the MBDA court battle as part of a larger trend of lawsuits from conservative activists that aim to dismantle affirmative action in education and business. This is now at least the second federal agency in nine months that has been ordered by a judge to change how they administer minority business programming. Business Briefing Become a business insider with the latest news. The MBDA is still exploring its options in the case, but in the meantime the agency is continuing its work assisting...