Following the shocking decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to stop the Atlanta-based Fearless Fund from administering grants to Black women, one of its co-founders is speaking out.
The decision was made on Monday (June 3), following ongoing opposition to the Fearless Fund spearheaded by conservative activist Edward Blum, who insisted that the program is likely racially discriminatory.
“In this fearless moment, we should all be motivated to fight after today’s decision. This is devastating for the Fearless Fund and Foundation, and for the women in which we have invested in. I am shattered for every girl of color who has a dream but will grow up in a nation determined not to give her a shot to live it,” Arian Simone said in a statement.
“On their behalf, we will turn the pain into purpose and fight with all our might. America is supposed to be a nation where one has the freedom to achieve, the freedom to earn, and the freedom to prosper. Yet, when we have attempted to level the playing field for underrepresented groups, our freedoms were stifled.”
The appeals court ultimately disagreed with a federal judge who ruled in September that the lawsuit was unlikely to prevail based on the First Amendment.
After the Supreme Court abolished race-conscious college admissions last year, Blum — a staunch opponent of affirmative action—decided to go after it in the private sector. However, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. (who was appointed by President Bill Clinton) initially ruled that the Fearless Fund’s grant program is the kind of free speech protected under the First Amendment.
Despite the tremendous setback, Simone stated the she and her Fearless Fund partner Ayana Parsons plan to keep their operation alive. “We are still open for business,” Simone exclaimed. “We must keep up this fight for the next generation of girls who deserve to grow up in an America that lets them realize their dreams instead of outlawing them.”