U.S. appeals court revises Black-empowerment group’s discrimination claims against Pinellas

A U.S. appeals court ruled that Pinellas County Commission violated the First Amendment rights of the African People’s Education and Defense Fund (APEDF) by withholding COVID-response grants for political and racial reasons. The court reversed a trial judge’s dismissal of APEDF’s equal-protection and free-speech claims, citing allegations that the county discriminated against the group for its association with the Uhuru Movement and its Black-empowerment goals.