On Nov. 4, Houston voters will decide whether or not to abolish the city’s affirmative action plan. California citizens voted to ban state affirmation action programs last year.
An Oct. 2 poll said that only 29% of voters want to ban the program. The 13-year-old program states that 20% of city contracts must go to women and people of color. Last year, only 21% of city contracts went to women- or minority-owned businesses, despite the fact that African-Americans and Hispanics make up 39% of Houston’s population. Lenoria Walker, who runs the program, said “Everybody’s eyes are on Houston. If Houston is overtaken, then that will be a trend for the rest of the state to do the same thing.”
