Gladys Knight is furious with President Biden who has denied her requests for a sit-down meeting to discuss PPE government contracts.
According to TMZ, the Grammy Award-winner owns a medical supply company, Riccino Optical, that provides COVID-related products and PPEs, including antigen tests, anti-fog goggles and face shields.
The soul singer, who fronted the legendary group Gladys Knight & the Pips, says the President has ignored her repeated requests for a White House meeting, while he meets with the likes of South Korean boy band BTS in the Oval Office.
“Are the problems associated with African Americans not equal to those of other races? Why do we have to be last?” she wrote in a letter to Biden in June.
Knight describes Riccino Optical as an “African American woman owned minority business,” that has been trying to get a government contract to provide PPEs to the public.
The iconic singer understands how the political game is played. She knows government contracts are awarded to campaign donors and in exchange for political favors.
Knight says the feds give contracts to the “Good old boys’ network of Washington D.C. insiders.” She went on to say a government contract was specifically awarded to Native American businesses, yet there are no Native American manufacturers of PPEs, while her company has millions of PPEs in inventory.
Knight and her husband were invited to the White House on Tuesday, March 21, when she received the National Medal of Arts. But she did not get a sit-down meeting with the President, even though her husband asked Biden why he hasn’t met with her yet.
Knight also performed for Biden and the leaders of African nations at a dinner and reception at the White House on December 14.
In her letter, she writes:
“It is extraordinarily insulting to watch news reports … that a boy band from South Korea, BTS, had an in-person meeting with President Biden. As a longtime, Democrat and civil rights warrior, as well as well as a legendary entertainer that has met with President Biden many times in my life, the difficulty of setting up a meeting with him over these issues makes no sense.”
She continued: “It appears as if only youth-oriented artists even if they are not Americans will be greeted in the ‘People’s House’ by our President. I know it is always harder for African Americans to get justice and fair level playing fields in business, but this is becoming ludicrous.”
