George Floyd scholarship: A beacon of hope for black students threatened by legal challenge from conservative group that claims it is discriminatory

A college scholarship geared toward supporting young black students – named after the late George Floyd – has faced a legal challenge from a conservative nonprofit alleging racial discrimination in its eligibility criteria.

However, university officials created the scholarship to support the subsequent generation of black leaders following the tragic death of Floyd by the hands of a Minneapolis police officer later convicted of his murder.

The George Floyd Memorial Scholarship at North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was established in 2020 “to contribute to the educational promises made by aspiring young Black American leaders,” in response to a press release.

North Central University President Scott Hagan announced the creation of the scholarship during Floyd’s memorial service in Minneapolis on June 4, 2020, calling on other universities within the country to follow suit.

“Moving beyond North Central University, I now challenge every university president in the United States to establish their own endowment fund in his honor. George Floyd so that people across the country can donate to the college of their choice,” Hagan he said then. “Now is the time to invest like never before in a new generation of young Black Americans who are ready and willing to take leadership in our country. So, university presidents, let us unite.”

About 4 years later, the Legal Uprising Foundation filed for civil rights grievance March 25 with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights in late March. The group claims the scholarship violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the idea of race, color and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.

Because the scholarship is only available to Black or African American students, the muse says it discriminates against students of other races, including those that discover as white, Latino or Asian.

The news release said the fellowship is still accepting applications for the 2024-25 academic 12 months and that a fellow might be chosen by June. In terms of eligibility, applicants for the scholarship must “be a black or African American student, that is, a person from any of the black racial groups in Africa.” Students who don’t meet the racial category usually are not eligible for the scholarship.

Hagan announced the scholarship award during Floyd’s memorial service, stating: “Now is the time to invest like never before in a new generation of young Black Americans who are ready and willing to take leadership in our country. So, university presidents, let us unite.”

Ameer Benno and William Jacobson, attorneys for the organization, said within the grievance: “We are filing this civil rights grievance against North Central University for creating, supporting and promoting the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship, an undergraduate scholarship that engages in shameless discrimination on the idea of race, skin color and national origin.”

The foundation called on the federal government to launch an investigation into the university’s allegations of discrimination.

“The Office of Civil Rights has the authority and responsibility to research UMK’s role in participating in, sponsoring, supporting and promoting GFMS – in addition to to find out whether UMK engages in such discrimination in its other activities – and to impose any obligatory remedies to carry it accountable for this inconsistent illegal conduct,” the grievance states.

“This includes, as necessary, imposing financial penalties, initiating administrative proceedings to suspend or terminate federal financial assistance, and referring the matter to the Department of Justice for judicial proceedings to enforce United States rights under federal law.”

It is unclear whether North Central University has responded to the allegations, and the university didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment from NBC News.

George Floyd scholarship: A beacon of hope for black students threatened by legal challenge from conservative group that claims it is discriminatory