Black History Month: Honoring diversity in procurement

In the 24 years that Annie Partee has been with Dallas ISD, she has seen minority participation in contracting increase, and during this year’s Black History Month, her department—Minority/Women Business Enterprise—is honoring that growth by highlighting African American in the industry. 

“Our distinguished guest speakers include M/WBE leaders, black owned businesses, philanthropic supporters, contractor and chamber of commerce leaders, and Dallas ISD executives,” Partee said of the M/WBE Department lecture series on Facebook. “These leaders have a vested interest in the success of Dallas ISD and their communities.”

To watch the recordings of the series, visit: www.facebook.com/DallasISDMWBE.

Partee, who is originally from Tallulah, Lou., has lived in the Dallas area for approximately 30 years and joined Dallas ISD as coordinator in MWBE in 1999. She is proud of the work she has done to uplift and support African American businesses and other minority groups. 

“My most important role is to serve and to help others to be able to support their families, their businesses, and their communities, so that they’re in a position where they can give back and help others,” said Partee, director of MWBE.

Celebrating Black History Month honors the department’s commitment to ensure the inclusion of minority and women owned businesses in all aspects of the district’s purchasing and contracting opportunities, something that Partee says she and her team are intentional about practicing every day.

“This work is extremely important not only because of diversity, equity and inclusion, but it also affords us an opportunity to help others that are being underrepresented and underutilized. We are giving back, serving others, and helping others to reach their goals,” she said. 

One of the ways that the MWBE department honors the district’s commitment to diversity is by offering outreach to Black and other minority and women owned businesses to teach them how to do business with Dallas ISD. This is done through a series of educational opportunities throughout the year which can be found in the M/WBE Department visit their page here.