August 13, 2025
Nancy Flake Johnson, president and CEO of the Urban League’s Atlanta chapter, said there was $2.2 million left in the grant.
Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) isn’t backing down from the Trump Administration’s anti-DEI rhetoric, asking members to reconsider federal grants that provide support and technical assistance to some of Atlanta’s budding Black businesses, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reports.
In a letter sent to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick earlier this month, Ossoff asked him to reinstate a $3 million grant to the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, stating that keeping the funds hostage only “punishes job creators, hinders Georgia’s economic growth, and denies critical services from being delivered to my constituents.”
Ossoff highlighted that the funds that went toward the federal Capital Readiness Program administered by the Minority Business Development Agency under the Biden administration.
In 2023, the nonprofit was one of 43 groups in the country to receive a portion of the $125 million grant, labeled as the largest-ever direct federal investment in small business “incubators and accelerators.”
But the celebration was short-lived.
In April, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to dismantle the MBDA. Ossoff’s letter argued for a judge’s ruling to reopen the MBDA and restore canceled grants.
Nancy Flake Johnson, president and CEO of the Urban League’s Atlanta chapter, said her initial reaction to the cancelled four-year grant was “disappointment, naturally,” as there was $2.2 million left in the grant.
“This allowed us to really zero in on one of the biggest challenges that any small business faces, and that’s having the capital they need to operate during the peaks and valleys of business,” Johnson said.
The program offered classes, coaching, and opportunities for businesses to meet with investors, banks, and other groups that offer capital for growth and sustainability. In addition, business owners were offered an accelerator to learn how to get contracts.
Things were on track for the first two years, according to the AJC, with more than 3,000 businesses participating in the first year. Johnson said over 1,700 businesses engaged between September 2024 and spring 2025.
Prior to the grant being canceled, the organization helped almost 20 small-owned businesses secure $1.7 million in loans, grants, and contract opportunities. Roughly 130 businesses graduated from the group’s training programs.
However, Trump’s new wave of thinking has resulted in staff layoffs.
Several nonprofits that cater to minority businesses have suffered as Trump’s executive order against diversity, equity, and inclusion has cancelled funding, resulting in some businesses having to close their doors for good.
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