WASHINGTON (NNPA)-Three months after President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law, Black contractors and advocates say they have yet to see a fair share of capital from the stimulus package that promised to disperse billions of dollars in construction projects.

"We really haven't seen a surge of opportunity for Black businesses," said Omar Sharef, president of the Chicago-based African-American Contractors Association, which represents more than 1,200 Black-owned firms across the nation. Instead, Sharef said, he has witnessed more White-owned businesses preparing to take advantage of new opportunities that are being bestowed throughout Illinois. "Even though we got a magic word-a stimulus that's coming out and everybody's excited, it's not even getting to our side of the street yet and that's very unfortunate."

A slew of construction jobs are readily available from funds distributed to state and local governments, and through various federal agencies, such as the General Services Administration, which is projected to spend $5.55 billion on more than 250 construction projects nationally, according to Recovery.gov. However, when it comes to securing contracts to execute these jobs. Black contractors are still waiting. The general consensus among Sharef and other Black contracting advocates and construction firm owners is that they have seen little to no money from the stimulus package.

"Black folks aren't getting the type of stimulus money White folks are getting," said Sharef. This is in spite of a promise on Recovery.gov that states "recovery act funds [shall be distributed] in accordance with all anti-discrimination and equal opportunity statuses, regulations, executive orders, and policies..."