The man who pushed for the U.S. Supreme Court to deny colleges from using affirmative action in their admissions process is now attacking an Atlanta-based venture capital fund that supports Black women with small businesses.
Edward Blum and his nonprofit American Alliance for Equal Rights filed a federal lawsuit stating that the Fearless Fund Management fund violates the Civil Rights Act of 1866 by making Black women only eligible for $20,000 grants.
The Blum-founded group Students for Fair Admissions brought the lawsuit behind the Supreme Court’s June decision that declared affirmative action policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina unlawful.
The fund was started by “The Cosby Show” actress Keshia Knight Pulliam, entrepreneur Arian Simone and executive Ayana Parsons back in 2019.
“Defendants—Fearless Fund Management, LLC, Fearless Fund II, GP, LLC, Fearless Fund II, LP, and Fearless Foundation, Inc. (collectively ‘Fearless Fund’)—are operating a racially-discriminatory program that blatantly violates section 1981’s guarantee of race neutrality,” states the lawsuit.
“The Fearless Strivers Grant Contest awards $20,000 grants to winning applicants. Under the program’s terms, the submission of an entry forms ‘a contract’ between Fearless Fund and the applicant. Eligibility for the program depends on an applicant’s race. Per the first eligibility requirement listed in the program’s official rules, it is ‘open only to black females.'”
Fearless Fund has numerous investors including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Costco, General Mills and Mastercard.
According to Reuters, Blum plans to file more federal lawsuits to challenge race-based policies implemented by corporations and claimed 60 white or Asian members of his group American Alliance for Equal Rights were excluded from the fund due to race.
“The common theme of these organizations is to challenge in the courts the use of racial classifications and preferences in our nation’s policies,” said Blum.
The 71-year-old told the New York Times that he celebrated the Supreme Court decision by drinking wine, taking an Ambien and going to bed.
“Racial classifications is a zero-sum game. There are better ways to achieve individualized student diversity than treating students differently by race and ethnicity,” said Blum, who also noted that he does not believe that systematic racism exists in the United States.
“I do not believe in it. What your question implies is that in the American DNA there is racism. It was founded upon racism. It is part of what this country is. I reject that.”
The lawsuit is seeking a “declaratory judgment that Defendants’ Fearless Strivers Grant
Contest violates Section 1981″ and “a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction barring Defendants from closing the fourth application period, selecting grant recipients, or enforcing their racially discriminatory eligibility criteria for the Fearless Strivers Grant Contest.”
Journalist Monique Judge reacted to the lawsuit on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, and aptly noted, “Edward Blum isn’t anti-Affirmative Action. He’s anti-Black.”
Twitter users also reacted to the news and accused Blum of being racist.
“Unfriendly Advice for Edward Blum,” noted one. “Sir, you do NOT want it with Black women. BW despise hypocrisy, and when you come for some you come for all. We’re resourceful, and we rally to a degree unmatched by any other demo you’ll challenge in your racist crusades. This may be fun.”
“That Edward Blum guy is a real POS. He loves targeting black people,” added another.
The lawsuit also seeks a permanent injunction barring the Fearless Fund from enforcing “racially discriminatory” eligibility criteria for the program, “nominal damages” and attorneys’
fees.
