An aspiring white law student has filed legal notice alleging discrimination against a black-only internship in a case similar to one just settled in the U.S.
Sophie Corcoran is challenging the British “10,000 Interns Foundation,” which offers scholarships only to “under-represented groups.”
Corcoran, a so-called influencer and GB News Commentator, alleges the foundation is violating Britain’s Equality Act.
Hoping to go to law school, she applied to the foundation for a scholarship only to learn it caters only to blacks and other minorities.
“This case is not simply about my own experience,” Corcoran told The Guardian. “I am pursuing it because I believe that no person in Britain should be denied opportunities because of the color of their skin.”
The foundation’s CEO, Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell, the first black woman to swim for Great Britain, defends the black-only scholarships.
“Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not,” Ajulu-Bushell said. “That belief has guided our work from the beginning and remains unchanged. We are confident in the lawfulness of our approach.”
A similar case to Corcoran’s in the U.S. that prompted the American Bar Association to revise its minority-only scholarship rules may give Corcoran helpful legal precedent.
The association now considers non-black applicants as long as they show “a strong commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.”
A conservative legal advocacy group, the American Alliance for Equal Rights, earlier this week dropped its lawsuit challenging the association’s diversity scholarships after the ABA eliminated race and ethnicity requirements for the grants.
Merit – the quality of being worthy, deserving honor, reward, or esteem, often implying superior value, virtue, or excellence.