During the 1996 Georgia legislative session, the proposed legislation H.R. 154 (authorized by Rep. Earl Ehrhart, 36th District; John Wiles, 34th District; Keith Breedlove, 85th District; Max Davis, 60th District; and Harold Mann, 5th District) was introduced. Had two-thirds of the General Assembly approved the resolution, a constitutional amendment banning affirmative action would have been put on a statewide ballot. Thus all programs that help minorities and women, even scholarships aimed at black college students, would have come to an end.

In late January of 1996, a group of black business owners from metropolitan Atlanta formed the Georgia Association of Minority and Female Business Enterprises (GAMFBE), because they saw a need to form an organization that would aggressively stand against anti-affirmative action legislation. Lou Walker was voted president of the organization and the GAMFBE took an active role in spearheading and coordinating the statewide Affirmative Action Rally held April 24, 1996, on the steps of the Georgia State Capitol. At the same time, black mayors from across the country were convening in Atlanta for the National Conference of Black Mayors. Their vision and commitment to African American-owned businesses has resulted in significant regional contributions and a consistent voice for minority business inclusion for all sectors of our regional economy.