I first wrote about this issue in January 1997. The discrimination against Black contractors on federal highway projects is worse now than ever before.

We cried in 1997 and must now scream and kick in 2009. The latest numbers have come in and it is worse than we could imagine.
For the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2008, state-run highway departments received over $29 billion annually for construction and only 1.1 percent of that was spent with Black-owned firms. We are 14 percent of the population but only get 1.1 percent of the available contracts.

Thirteen states (Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont and Wyoming) did no business at all with Black firms. California is indeed the poster child for highway discrimination. This state received $2.3 billion alone and did on 0.1 percent (one-10th of one percent) with Black firms. New York did 0.5 percent and the great state of Texas could only manage 1 percent. The Black business community is being denied billions of dollars through the discriminatory practice with federal funds. That equates to millions of jobs we could be creating. Instead, our unemployment rates are twice as high as the national average. This is one good reason for that.

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has made it clear that he has no tolerance for the mess he inherited and will fight it. We should support his efforts but at the same time we must be vigilant and active in fighting against this racist activity. In 1997, I called for civil disobedience. In St. Louis, the black contractors heard my plea and shut down Interstate 70 one day. That won the full attention of the governor, who opened the doors and increased training funds for small fledgling contractors. The numbers improved for a while but now Missouri has fallen back to 0.8 percent Black participation. We are going to have to go to the streets once again and this time do it in mass across the nation. Let’s shutdown a couple of dozen of Interstates where we will make it clear: stop the bigotry.

This funding basically comes from the federal tax assessed on you and me whenever we buy gas for our vehicles. That money is forwarded to Washington, D.C., and is dispersed to the states. Thus, every dollar that comes to a state should have the representation of those who contributed. Right now, it is like colonialism. They take our resources, use it to their advantage and deny us any possible benefit. It is a poverty maker and high tech exploiter.

This racist activity evolves from the corruption in the highway construction industry. Corruption is the “first cousin” of bigotry. There is a massive amount of bid rigging, cartel and monopoly activity and real estate conspiracies in this industry and there is no room for strangers such as Black contractors to come in and expose the racketeering that goes on. Yes, organized crime profiting from federal funds and regulations. It just doesn’t seem American.

Our political leaders must be educated as to the extreme damage being done to our communities and the severity of this discriminatory practice. Today, they really don’t fully understand the devastating impact on our neighborhoods via the predatory practices on our construction businesses. Keep in mind that the chair of the House Transportation Oversight Committee is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. When are they going to get it?

We must bring the ills of discrimination to the television sets and front pages of the newspapers as we successfully did in the former struggle. Stopping the traffic on different expressways around the nation at the same time on various occasions will certainly bring attention to the issue. It appears we may have to do it, but when we do, it must be done nonviolently and professionally.

Please note that these are just the contracting numbers. When we finally get the employment data it will be 10 times worse. Here is where we can make a big change. Highway (or “flat”) construction is the simplest form of construction. You need no more than eighth grade reading and math capabilities. If we are building skyscrapers, airport terminals, schools and stadiums, clearly we should be participating in laying asphalt and grading roads. To get our fair share will improve the quality of our lives and make this a better nation.

It is our money and we demand to take part in its activity.

Alford is an NNPA columnist and co-founder of the National Black Chamber of Commerce Inc.