Court blocks grants to Black women entrepreneurs in case that could restrict DEI efforts by companies and charities

Fearless Fund CEO Arian Simone speaks outside the U.S. Supreme Court in March 2024. Tom Brenner/The Washington Post via Getty Images

In a 2-1 vote on June 3, 2024, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit held that the Fearless Foundation – the charitable arm of the Fearless Fund venture capital firm – must suspend its Strivers Grant Contest. The contest is limited to Black women who are majority owners of businesses.

The Conversation asked Angela R. Logan, a scholar of nonprofit administration and diversity, equity and inclusion policies, to explain the significance of this case, American Alliance for Equal Rights v. Fearless Fund Management, and what’s at stake.