Legal Battle Ends in Disappointing Settlement for Fearless Fund

The legal battle between Fearless Fund and a conservative anti-woke-anti-DEI-anti-everything-else group has finally come to a disappointing settlement after months of back and forth. The Fearless Fund, an Atlanta-based grant firm that focuses on supporting minority-owned businesses, was accused of racial discrimination by the American Alliance for Equal Rights last August.

The controversy stemmed from Fearless Fund’s Fearless Strivers Grant Contest, which allocated $20,000 exclusively to four Black women entrepreneurs sponsored by JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Mastercard. The Alliance claimed that the fund was discriminating against non-Black business owners by disqualifying them from the contest.

Fearless Fund defended its actions, citing First Amendment protections and arguing that the Alliance had not suffered any irreparable harm. However, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Alliance, indicating that they had a strong case for discrimination.

In a surprising turn of events, Fearless Fund decided to settle the case rather than continue with litigation. As part of the settlement, the grant contest has been permanently closed, much to the disappointment of many aspiring entrepreneurs.

Fearless Fund CEO Arian Simone expressed her commitment to empowering women of color entrepreneurs despite the setback. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who represented the firm, emphasized the importance of avoiding a Supreme Court ruling that could have eliminated race-based funding opportunities.

While the settlement may be seen as a loss for Fearless Fund, they can still continue their mission of supporting underserved businesses through investments and charity opportunities. The decision to settle was made to protect vital opportunities for the Black and brown community and avoid potential attacks on diversity and inclusion-based resources on a larger scale.