A college scholarship aimed at supporting young Black students — named after the late George Floyd — faces a legal complaint from a conservative nonprofit organization, alleging racial discrimination based on eligibility requirements.
But university officials created the scholarship to boost the next generation of Black leaders following the tragic death of Floyd, who died at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer who was later convicted in his killing.
The George Floyd Memorial Scholarship at North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was established in 2020 “to contribute toward the educational promise of aspiring young black American leaders,” according to a press release.
North Central University President Scott Hagan announced the creation of the scholarship during the Minneapolis memorial service for Floyd on June 4, 2020, calling on other universities in the nation to follow suit.
“Far beyond North Central University, I am now challenging every university president in the United States of America to establish your own George Floyd Memorial Scholarship Fund, so people across this nation can give to the college of their choice,” Hagan said at the time. “It is time to invest like never before in a new generation of young black Americans who are poised and ready to take leadership in our nation. So, university presidents, let’s step up together.”
About four years later, the Legal Insurrection Foundation filed a civil rights complaint on March 25 with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights in late March. The group argues that the scholarship violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.
With the scholarship only open to students who are Black or African-American, the foundation claims that this discriminates against non-Black students, including…
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