Affirmative action
During his tenure, Mayor Daley promoted affirmative action. He continued a program, initiated by Mayor Harold Washington (1983-1987), to set aside a percentage of city contracts for minority-owned and woman-owned enterprises, also known as MBE’s and WBE’s. But he faced legal obstacles.
Kelly Welsh, Chicago corporation counsel (1989-1993), explains the Richmond v. Croson decision (1989), which threatened to invalidate the city's program:
To meet the legal requirements imposed by the Croson decision, Daley testified to document past patterns of discrimination.
Julia Stasch comments on the difficulties the affirmative action program faced later in Daley's administration:
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- Richard M. Daley at hearing to discuss discrimination on the awarding of city contracts
- Kelly Welsh explais the significance of the U.S. Supreme Court's Croson decision during Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley's first term in office
- Julia Stasch discusses Mayor Richard M. Daley's efforts to support minority-owned and women-owned enterprises in Chicago.
- Richard M. Daley announces hearings on minority set-asides