Civil rights lawyers have said that a fellowship offered by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is a violation of the law because it bars whites and Asians from applying.
The Breakthrough Fellowship Program is part of an effort to “increase diversity by fostering a more inclusive workplace” and “increase minority representation” at Pfizer, according to the company.
The program “works to advance students and early career colleagues of Black/African American, Latino/Hispanic and Native American descent with a goal of developing 100 fellows by 2025.”
Students will be eligible to apply to the program during their junior year of college, and, if successful, they will participate in an initial 10-week summer internship before landing two years of full-time employment after undergraduate graduation….