**Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens Chooses to Forfeit Federal Airport Funding Rather Than Dismantle Diversity Programs**
*By Elijah Nouvelage and Jeff Amy*
Travelers pack Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, the busiest air hub in the world by passenger traffic.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has made a bold decision to give up tens of millions of dollars in federal airport funding rather than dismantle long-standing diversity programs, deepening a clash with the Trump administration that is spreading across cities nationwide.
Katie Kirkpatrick, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, expressed strong support for the mayor’s stance. In an interview at Bloomberg’s New York headquarters, she said that the city should not compromise its historic efforts to expand opportunities for minority-owned businesses at Hartsfield-Jackson.
“It’s the DNA of who we are,” Kirkpatrick stated. “It doesn’t change based on the policies or the perspectives at the federal level. Changing that, I think, would be inauthentic for our city.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently withheld $57 million earmarked for projects at Hartsfield-Jackson after City Hall refused to drop requirements tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion, according to the *Atlanta Journal-Constitution*. Around $19 million of that amount could be restored next year if the city accepts new contract language. The funds were designated for taxiway and restroom upgrades.
City officials confirmed the loss of funding but have not specified how much has already been forfeited.
Hartsfield-Jackson, a primary hub for Delta Air Lines Inc.—which is owned by the city of Atlanta—has long been central to Atlanta’s identity as a hub for minority-owned contractors, workers, and concession owners. In the 1970s, the city’s first Black mayor, Maynard Jackson, mandated that minority firms share in the airport’s expansion. This policy helped create a generation of Black entrepreneurs and established the airport as an economic engine in the predominantly Black city.
Mayor Dickens, a Black Democrat running for re-election this year, affirmed that Atlanta would not alter these programs.
“No city has done more to nurture Black entrepreneurship,” he said Tuesday while announcing new economic development plans in underserved neighborhoods.
In a separate statement, Dickens said that the city would replace the lost federal funding through other sources, though he did not specify which ones. He noted that federal support represents about $1 billion of the airport’s current capital improvement plans—less than 10% of the total.
“We are confident that the airport will be able to pursue alternative funding to advance these projects without impacting customers or airport service providers,” Dickens stated. “The city is currently evaluating all options to ensure alignment with our long-held values, local policy and federal law, and we are confident that the airport will be well positioned to receive federal funds in the future.”
Kirkpatrick, joined by other economic development and business leaders from Atlanta, endorsed Dickens’ refusal to yield to the administration’s demands.
She emphasized that the mayor is balancing Atlanta’s values and historic identity while dealing with the shifting priorities of the federal government.
This conflict reflects a broader campaign by the Trump administration to block funding tied to diversity and climate programs, often targeting Democratic strongholds. On the same day, the administration halted $18 billion in infrastructure funding for New York, including projects like the Second Avenue Subway extension and the Hudson Tunnel Project, citing diversity and equity practices as reasons.
The cuts directly affect constituents of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both involved in government shutdown negotiations.
Earlier this week, President Trump warned he would use funding lapses to target what he called “Democrat things.” Concurrently, the White House announced plans to slash $8 billion from renewable energy projects across more than a dozen states that voted for then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
In California and the Pacific Northwest, billions of dollars designated for hydrogen projects are likely to be terminated.
Similar tensions have emerged elsewhere. Last month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urged Maryland officials against awarding contracts to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge based on race or sex. Trump also suggested reconsidering federal support for that project, despite Congress approving plans to fully fund the rebuild.
Local governments nationwide are already bracing for financial shortfalls as pandemic relief funds expire, borrowing costs increase, and federal infrastructure policies shift.
Atlanta, for example, had to address a projected $20 million budget deficit this year by instituting across-the-board departmental cuts, illustrating how local budgets could be further strained if Washington reduces aid.
“That is going to be a challenge to every local government going forward,” Kirkpatrick observed. “Whether or not it’s a municipal, county, city or state, there are going to be some challenges.”
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https://www.phillytrib.com/across_america/ceo-group-defends-dei-at-busiest-u-s-airport-despite-trump-cuts/article_cddbe012-977d-47ff-9575-097c1389a3b2.html