Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens remains committed to the city’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) priorities.

In an interview with AFROTECH™ released in May, Dickens shared that he takes pride in promoting diversity and inclusion and acknowledged why preserving the city’s commitment to DEI was important, even in the face of the Trump Administration’s rollback of its programs, roles, and initiatives.

“We pride ourselves on economic inclusion, and the words ‘diversity and equity’ and all that matters to us. So, when those things are under attack, it could really affect the households in our city and affect how we do business,” he told AFROTECH™.

He later said, “We want Atlanta to be a city of opportunity for everyone, no matter what race, no matter what age, no matter what physical condition, no matter what sexual orientation, no matter how much money you have. We want it to be an opportunity for everyone… I’m an optimist. I believe there’s a solution for just about everything.”

Bloomberg reports Atlanta could have received $57 million in funding from the Federal Aviation Administration that would have improved the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport by passenger traffic. According to WSB Radio, accepting the federal dollars was also attached to the condition that the city retract its DEI policies. This is at a time when 37% of the airport’s revenue is directed back to minority businesses, according to Dickens’ account in May.

He isn’t backing down on upholding DEI efforts, so the federal dollars are being withheld. Dickens said the federal funding of $1 billion makes up under 10% of the airport capital improvement plans, and he will weigh other funding options. Of the funds withheld, $19 million of the amount could still be claimed if the city changes its contract language, according to Bloomberg.

“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 explained to the outlet. “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.”