From Staff Reports 

 ASHEVILLE — WNC Citizens for Equality recently filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Civil Rights at three addresses, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, in accordance with the above-agencies’ Civil Rights Complaint Resolution Process, Mark Delk, president for the group, stated via a press release on June 18.

The complaint was filed, as “an interested third party,” against the National Institute of Minority Economic Development.

WNCEE “is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to ensuring the civil rights of and liberties of citizens of Western North Carolina regardless of race,” the release stated. 

The National Institute of Minority Economic Development (hereinafter referred to as “The Institute”) is a nonprofit entity organized within the state of North Carolina. Its mission includes promoting business diversity and focuses on providing capital and other resources to minority business owners. (See attached Exhibit A)

The Institute is certified by the U.S. Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution” offers capital access through loans and grants to individuals and business owners in under-served communities. As a CDFI, the Institute is prohibited from engaging in racial and sex discrimination under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The Institute currently receives federal funding through a variety of direct grants. Prior federal grant contributions have totaled in the millions of dollars.

The Institute also receives a recurring grant of $3 million per year from the N.C. State General Fund according to the UNC School of Government (Bill H 434 2023-2024).

The complaint concludes as follows:

“Western North Carolina citizens have been devastated by Hurricane Helene. Individuals have lost their homes, possessions, and in some cases, the lives of loved ones. 

“Business-owners have lost store fronts, inventory, and revenue; making survival difficult if not impossible. Hurricane Helene did not care whether its victims were white or black, or men or women. 

“Yet, for reasons known only to itself, The Institute does care about skin color and gender in providing relief. The Institute’s actions add the insult of illegal discrimination to the injuries Helene inflicted.

“For these reasons, WNC Citizens for Equality requests that the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Transportation investigate and, upon confirmation of these allegations, take appropriate action to compel the respondents’ compliance with federal anti- discrimination laws.”