Privately Funded Scholarships for Black Students Established at Harvard

A new scholarship program has been established at Harvard University to honor two black students who were killed in an automobile accident in 1999. Members of the Class of 1999 and the families of Deshaun R. Hill and Harvard C.N. Stephens have set up a scholarship fund which will award $500 grants to black sophomores or juniors who are majoring in mathematics or the sciences. A commitment to community service and concern for the plight of the disadvantaged will also be considered as positive attributes in the selection process.

There are legal wolves prepared to try to extend prohibitions against race-based scholarships. JBHE expects that in time right-wing organizations such as the Center for Individual Rights or the Center for Equal Opportunity will mount a legal challenge to private scholarships earmarked for blacks when the scholarships are administered by or employed at private educational institutions that receive federal grants or other federal funds.

Copyright © 2007. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.