THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 7, 1995 TAG: 9504070558
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEPHANIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
Vernice Bradley waves her arms, requests career contacts and points at the speakers as she asks questions. Down the hall, Yvonne Lee talks quietly about her dreams of owning a business.
The two students at Norfolk State University have many similarities: they want to be entrepreneurs, they want to help the minority community and they say they've been turned down for jobs because of their skin color.
But the similarities end when they reveal their opinions about affirmative action.
``I really don't think race should be an issue,'' said Bradley, a sophomore who was one of the hundreds of students and company officials at the conference. ``Black or white - the best person should get the contract.''
Lee disagrees. ``Affirmative action is there for a reason,'' she says. ``There aren't enough black businesses to represent the community.''
Students and local business owners turned out for the three-day NSU Business Expo, where they could ask experts questions about running a business.
Sponsored by the NSU school of business, the exposition focused on ``Partners for Progress: Linking Small Businesses to Success.'' The conference aimed to help minority-owned small businesses obtain the skills and resources necessary for success.
The conference covered topics from applying for government contracts to using the information superhighway.
The issue of affirmative action has bubbled to the surface in California, where the state's governor said he would support an initiative to ban any affirmative-action preference in state hiring, contracting or education. It's also a rising issue in the next presidential race.
And it's making people angry.
When does fairness to minorities - in the form of recruiting, contracts, college admissions - become unfair to whites? Does it ever?
``I remember when the FBI was hiring here,'' said Lee, a senior who wants to become a systems analyst. ``I remember some of the white people weremad because it was hard to get an interview. They weren't giving them the time of day.
``I thought, `So you finally know what it's like.' ''
Unlike California, Virginia has no affirmative action programs. Only a few localities - none in Hampton Roads - have any form of affirmative action preferences, local officials said.
But minority-owned businesses nationwide may benefit from federal government programs that set aside jobs and contracts - anything from construction to manufacturing tools - for minorities.
Affirmative action in the private sector is an entirely different animal. Some companies have minority programs; others don't. There are usually no government requirements unless the business takes on government contracts.
Some companies see racial preferences as the best way to reach blacks, Asians, Native Americans and other minorities in their communities or markets. Some don't want to hire minorities, and they don't.
It's the federal government's programs targeting minorities that ``are at risk,'' said James A. Waller, a purchasing agent for the city of Norfolk who spoke to university students at the School of Business Expo.
Rosemary Swindel, a Navy procurement analyst, said many minorities use the ``set-aside'' contracts just to get a foot in the door.
``If they did away with the set-asides, there would be a lot of missed opportunities,'' Swindel said. ``It would be the government's loss.''
The process is already tough for small, minority-owned businesses. The students and community members at the conference asked speakers pointed questions about running small businesses.
Larry Smith and his wife, Mary, wanted to know what they were doing wrong. How could they find out why their bids weren't successful? Where could they go for help?
``Apparently, companies are making money and they know how to get into the system and make things work,'' said Larry Smith, of After 5 Janitorial Services. ``I haven't gotten to that point.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Lawrence Jackson, Staff
Rosemary Swindel...
KEYWORDS: SMALL BUSINESS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS by CNB