“Within the face of persistent, systemic discrimination in opposition to Black individuals and all individuals of coloration arising from our nation’s lengthy historical past of racism, Ed Blum and his recently-created entrance group are bent on dismantling packages benefiting the Black group. They search to kneecap any effort to undo entrenched racial inequalities and additional cement the established order of inequitable market entry.” — Damon Hewitt, president and government director of Attorneys’ Committee for Civil Rights Underneath Regulation
In recent times, ladies entrepreneurs of coloration have began firms at greater than 4 occasions the speed of the general inhabitants.
In 2021, 17% of Black ladies had been within the technique of beginning or operating new companies, in comparison with 10% of white ladies and 15% of white males.
Whereas Black ladies signify 14% of the feminine inhabitants, they account for 42% of web new women-owned companies.
Black ladies enterprise house owners who apply for funding are rejected at thrice the speed of white enterprise house owners. Solely 3% of Black women-owned firms mature and survive longer than 5 years. Final yr, solely 0.1% — one-tenth of 1% — of enterprise capital funds went to Black and Latino ladies founders.
Anti-racial justice activist Edward Blum, backed by rich, dark-money foundations, contends the system is rigged — in favor of Black ladies.
Blum has filed swimsuit in opposition to the Fearless Fund, a enterprise capital agency that has awarded $26 million in investments and $3 million in grants prior to now 4 years to greater than 40 companies led by ladies of coloration.
Blum, who was behind the lawsuit that resulted within the U.S. Supreme Courtroom determination that ended affirmative motion in school admissions, is on a well-funded and more and more profitable campaign to protect systemic racial inequities and the benefits they afford individuals like himself and his backers.
As if so as to add insult to harm, he’s suing underneath a post-Civil Conflict regulation supposed to guard Black Individuals from racial discrimination.
His lawsuit — like his many others — makes a mockery of each the regulation and the very concept of racial fairness.
The Nationwide City League has joined in submitting an amicus transient within the case, together with Attorneys’ Committee for Civil Rights Underneath Regulation, the Management Convention on Civil and Human Rights, Nationwide Motion Community, NAACP, Nationwide Coalition on Black Civic Participation, and LatinoJustice PRLDEF. Because the transient explains, Part 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was explicitly designed to additional the goals of the thirteenth Modification by making a treatment for discrimination in opposition to Black folks that hampered their capacity to enter into contracts and absolutely take part within the nation’s economic system.
Applications like Fearless Fund, which strengthen Black Individuals’ rights to equal participation within the market, are indisputably approved underneath federal regulation.
Fearless Fund founders Ayana Parsons and Arian Simone, each Black ladies with deep expertise in enterprise, estimated they took 300 conferences with potential buyers earlier than getting their first $5 million in funding.
Blum and his extremist backers apparently don’t assume 300 is sufficient.
Morial is president/CEO of the Nationwide City League.