NAACP urges boycott of college sports in south over voting rights
Summary
The NAACP has started a campaign called “Out of Bounds” asking Black athletes, their families, fans, and alumni to boycott college sports programs in eight southern states. These states have made changes to voting maps that reduce Black voting power, and the campaign wants these states to restore fair political representation.Key Facts
- The NAACP’s “Out of Bounds” campaign targets public universities in Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, and Georgia.
- These states have changed voting maps to reduce Black political representation after a Supreme Court decision weakened the Voting Rights Act.
- The campaign asks athletes being recruited to these schools to delay committing until fair voting maps are restored.
- Current athletes are encouraged to speak out, ask their schools to oppose voting suppression, and consider transferring.
- Fans, alumni, and donors are urged not to buy tickets or merchandise for these programs and to support historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) instead.
- The NAACP links athletic programs’ financial success to Black athletes while their states diminish Black political power.
- Past athlete-led protests, such as those in Mississippi and at the University of Missouri, influenced change in social and racial issues.
- The Congressional Black Caucus opposes legislation that benefits major sports institutions while Black voting rights are being reduced in the South.
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