Black Contractors Say Caltrans Shuts Them Out
About two dozen members of the Young Black Contractors Assn. of South Central on Wednesday accused Caltrans of overlooking them when contracts are awarded for state projects.
“We can no longer stand back and take this,” said Drexell Muhammad, a contractor and founder of the group. “What we want is inclusion.”
Muhammad and other members of the group, most of whom work for Muhammad’s company, Drexell’s Equipment, carried signs and chanted for about three hours outside the California Department of Transportation office on Spring Street in Los Angeles.
The protest ended about noon, after the group met with Deborah Robertson, division chief of external affairs for Caltrans’ District 7. Robertson said she promised to help Drexell and other black contractors compete for contracts.
“We feel what we have is one of the most pro-active and progressive programs in the nation,” she said. “We’re willing to look at what’s coming up in the future, and what they can compete for, so they can get further involved in the bidding.”
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