The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is currently funding a staggering array of over 700 grants that may violate civil rights. This blatant disregard for equality is unacceptable and demands immediate action. A leading civil rights group, the Equal Protection Project (EPP), has brought this urgent issue to light in a pointed letter addressed to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
These grants, touted as initiatives to improve outcomes for minority communities, are tainted by potential discrimination. They reference goals that, while seemingly well-intentioned, risk undermining the very fabric of our civil rights framework. William Jacobson, founder of the EPP, insists that HHS must take a stand against any organization that uses federal funds to perpetrate discrimination.
The heart of the issue is clear: when institutions exploit taxpayer dollars to impose biased eligibility requirements, they damage not just the individuals who are unjustly excluded but also the integrity of our healthcare system as a whole. Jacobson has called for an audit of these grants, emphasizing the need for accountability in any program that creates barriers based on race or ethnicity.
One particularly egregious example highlighted by the EPP is the REACH Minority Fellowship, which requires applicants to be from specified racial or ethnic minorities. Although the grant language does not explicitly restrict eligibility, the underlying criteria enforced by the program’s administrators— the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and Yale School of Medicine—clearly do. This is a misuse of federal funding that must be addressed immediately.
To safeguard our civil rights, a thorough review of all HHS grants promoting so-called “minority initiatives” is essential. The goal of serving diverse communities cannot come at the expense of justice and equality. HHS must act decisively to restore integrity to its funding processes and ensure compliance with civil rights laws. We will not stand idly by while discrimination masquerades as progress.
