However, a constitutional expert asserts that issues still exist.
The” George Floyd Memorial Scholarship,” which is only available to black pupils, has undergone some editing at a Christian school in Minnesota.
The prosecutor who filed a federal problem with the Department of Education for Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 claims that the changes to the requirements do not resolve the constitutional issues.
The George Floyd Scholarship, created in 2020, used to, and appears to also, exclude individuals who are not dark.
Just candidates who are” Black or African American, that is, a man having roots in any of the dark racial groups of Africa”, may qualify for the award, according to recorded copies.
That part of the registration section was removed by the scholarship. After The College Fix received comments on Wednesday, July 10, it removed recommendations to the fellowship being for black students in some places.
However, the scholarship application form still asks students if they “identify as being a student]of] African descent ( Black, African American, African, or Mixed )”.
The program details page’s opening sentence used to learn:
A new generation of young Black Americans who are poised and prepared to lead our country and our society can invest in the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship. We think the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship may help North Central University recruit more Black individuals who will positively affect the learning environment. Making our learning environment more inclusive is essential for creating a college that looks and acts like God.
That speech remained active on the website until at least until Wednesday morning. The Fix contacted North Central on Wednesday and inquired about when the” conditions” had been updated, if the institution intended to change its language, and if it had reviewed the federal civil rights issue or heard from the Department of Education.
The school made modifications to the opening paragraph a while ago and on Friday night. Every few days, The Fix has checked the award page for updates.
It then reads:
NCU happily presents the Floyd Scholarship, a source of support for individuals dedicated to fostering societal change, restorative justice, and Biblical justice. The NCU Scholarship is a profound tool for those who want to seek student management positions at NCU that contribute to a sense of belonging. It was created to equip students with a passion for scriptural justice and community involvement.
We seek candidates who possess unique perspectives and experiences, as well as those who contribute to the NCU society by actively participating in campus-wide diverse student companies, standing up for biblical principles of justice, expanding options for marginalized populations, and fostering understanding across racial and ethnic boundaries.
We are dedicated to developing the next generation of diverse leaders who will influence positive change in our country and around the world.
However, the language about investing in “young Black Americans” remains still on the website as of Friday morning.
The language is still present on the scholarship application form.
Similar language is included on a website called” Floyd Scholarship Fund” under a brief history of the scholarship. The page leads students to apply for the scholarship.
Erica Hanson, the director of marketing and communications, did not respond to another email Friday that asked if the website would be further edited.
Professor William Jacobson, who used his Equal Protection Project to file the federal civil rights complaint, criticized the university for not proceeding further.
We’re pleased that North Central has removed explicit racial eligibility restrictions on the George Floyd Scholarship, but the organization continues to tell The Fix that the scholarship is only intended for black students, Jacobson wrote in an email.
The Cornell University law professor said,” The Floyd Scholarship provides a way to invest in a new generation of young Black Americans,” and the stated goal of increasing our number of Black students is a strong and unmistakable signal that racial barriers still exist.
According to him,” students who are not black would naturally be dissuaded from applying” by such clear racial signals. ” North Central needs to completely eliminate racial eligibility barriers in practice and not just on the application form.”
Since Jacobson filed the complaint in March, NCU has not communicated with him.
The Department of Education has also not given any updates on his complaint beyond “routine filing communications”, according to Jacobson.
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