Among the flurry of executive orders President Trump signed in his first days back in the oval office: rolling back Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives in the federal government.
It’s a tactic Floridians are familiar with. Gov. Ron DeSantis waged a ‘war on woke’ over the past couple of years, targeting DEI efforts in schools and workplaces.
But now big businesses are scaling back their DEI programs. That has prompted a backlash against those businesses.
The battle over DEI and the ripple effects on shoppers and businesses comes as Black History Month gets underway.
Nicole Payne, President of the Hillsborough County Black Chamber of Commerce, joined Florida Matters to explain how her organization works to strengthen Black-owned businesses in the region, and some of the hurdles they face.
Payne, who owns a lending and financial services company, said she got interested in finance while trying to buy a home as a single mom.
“I had a lot of roadblocks in there with some things that I didn't know, that I needed to know. And along the way, I felt that there were people that didn't have my best interests in mind and I was being taken advantage of,” Payne said.
“So being able to help the community with resources is something that I'm passionate about, because I treat people like I would have wanted to be treated when I was in their situation.”
She said it’s unfortunate that companies are rolling back DEI initiatives.
“That's what we need more of the conversation to be focused on, not that this is somehow reverse discrimination, but to understand why it started in the first place, is because we're not in the rooms, we're not at the tables when we actually should be.”
Hillary Van Dyke is working to connect people with Black-owned businesses in Tampa Bay.
Van Dyke and her friend Joshua Bean started the Green Book of Tampa Bay with a vision to increase economic vitality in the region. The website nods to the 20th century guide for Black travelers that helped them navigate the segregated south in safety.
Now, more than five years later, and after the pandemic turned life upside down, the Green Book of Tampa Bay has evolved into more than a business directory.
“I think it really was kind of just looking at the community and trying to think of how we can help make things a little better in the community. And ultimately, at the end of the day, people having more money in their pockets is going to help everyone,” Van Dyke told Florida Matters.
“Even though it's a focus on Black-owned businesses, the point is to encourage residents to be mindful of their spending and trying to spend across everything, just to ensure that we all have, you know, access to wealth,” Van Dyke said.
