Us Appeal Court Blocks $20,000 Grant to Black Women

The recent U.S appeal court’s decision on June 3 blocking Fearless Fund from awarding $20,000 grants to Black female entrepreneurs in Georgia was unexpected and perceived as discriminatory.

This ruling, due to a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination led by conservative activist Edward Blum, who was also involved in overturning affirmative action in college admissions, is a significant setback in our efforts to create a fair economy that benefits everyone.

This decision not only endangers similar programs supporting Black women, like the one aiding Black mothers in extreme poverty, but also impacts initiatives such as the Fearless Fund, which uses private funds to address systemic economic inequities faced by Black women.

Black women in the U.S. have historically faced economic marginalization.

The Fearless Fund was created to address this issue by providing financial support to combat the lack of resources available to Black women entrepreneurs.

The court’s ruling has put a halt to the grant program during the legal proceedings, highlighting the ongoing exclusion Black women face from opportunities that others easily access.

Despite the high labour force participation rates, Black women still encounter disparities, with top positions held by Black women earning an average of $50,000 less annually than those held by white men.

This wage gap results in a collective loss of $36 billion among Black women, reflecting not just a financial exclusion but also a systemic devaluation of Black women’s work, ideas, and leadership.

Arian Simone, CEO and founding partner of Fearless Fund and founder of the Fearless Foundation, said in a statement to USA TODAY, “This is devastating for the Fearless Fund and Foundation, and for the women in which we have invested.

“I am shattered for every girl of colour who has a dream but will grow up in a nation determined not to give her a shot to live it.

“On their behalf, we will turn the pain into purpose and fight with all our might”.

Simone said Fearless Fund was “still open for business.”
“The message these judges sent today is that diversity in Corporate America, education, or anywhere else should not exist.

“If this was truly about exercising free speech with your dollars − an American tradition as old as this nation itself − the results would have been different.

“Instead, these judges bought what a small group of white men were selling. They countered the rulings of other courts sued on similar grounds,” she said.

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