Ohio’s largest county funds medical education program ‘specifically recruiting African American or Black youth’ only

Ohio’s most populous county funds what some are saying is a racist medical education program that is only open to black students, with many lawyers acknowledging that it is unlawful and could put the county in legal jeopardy.

Franklin County has given more than $600,000 to the Made for Medicine program to “increase Black physician representation.” The county has been funding the program since 2023, the year the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in college admissions.

The program’s frequently asked questions page allegedly indicated that the program provides special courses, labs and research opportunities to middle and high school students who “identify as African American or Black.” As of Nov. 13, the program removed the FAQ page from its website. However, The Washington Free Beacon took screenshots of the page and published them with its report.

While some institutions tried to cover up their practices in different ways after the Supreme Court’s decision, the Made for Medicine program openly stated on its FAQ page, before its removal, that only black students would be able to apply for the program.

“Due to the dearth of African Americans and/or Blacks in the medical field, we are specifically recruiting African American or Black youth in order to tackle this problem and to create a sustainable pipeline for the future.”

The funds were dispensed through Franklin County’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which ironically said that “success should be shaped by a person’s character, determination and ideas—not limited by their background, race or socioeconomic status.”

Several attorneys told the Beacon that the program violates multiple civil rights laws, which could easily result in a lawsuit.

“If there is a state or local government that is funding a program that is racially exclusive, that is a straightforward 14th Amendment problem,” Dan Morenoff, executive director of the American Civil Rights Project, told the publication, adding that the program could also violate Title VI, the law banning race discrimination by the recipients of federal funds, since Franklin County receives money from the government.

The program is an affiliate of the Columbus Medical Association, a nonprofit “committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access for all.”

Associate Admissions Dean at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, Demicha Rankin, advocated for the explicitly racist program during a March webinar focused on increasing non-white enrollment in medical schools.