White U.S. business owners in 18 states have been awarded more than $300 million under federal minority contracting programs since 2000 by making unsubstantiated claims of being members of three ...

ST. LOUIS — Two years ago, when the mayor’s office in St. Louis announced a $311,000 contract to tear down an old shoe factory, it made a point of identifying the demolition company as minority owned.

If you’ve spent any time in the South or Midwest, you’ve probably heard a few people claim to have Native American ancestry (“Do you see these eyebrows? This bone structure?”) And, chances are, if ...