June 3, 2024
Contact:
Edward Blum
703-505-1922
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit Rules Fearless Fund’s Grant Competition is Illegal—Violates 42 U.S.C. § 1981
(Austin, TX) Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled that the Fearless Fund’s grant competition is illegal because it is open only to black women-owned businesses. This racially exclusive program thus violates 42 U.S.C. § 1981.
The American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER) sued the Fearless Fund in 2023 on behalf of three of its members who were disqualified from participating in the competition because they were the wrong race.
Edward Blum, president of AAER said, “The American Alliance for Equal Rights is grateful that the court has ruled that the Fearless Fund’s racially exclusive grant competition is illegal. Our nation’s civil rights laws do not permit racial distinctions because some groups are overrepresented in various endeavors, while others are under-represented.”
Blum added, “Programs that exclude certain individuals because of their race such as the ones the Fearless Fund has designed and implemented are unjust and polarizing. Significant majorities of all Americans believe that an individual’s race should not be a factor in our nation’s public policies.”