The NAACP has issued a call to action for Black athletes and supporters, urging them to boycott the sports programs of public universities in states accused of curbing Black voting rights. The “Out of Bounds” campaign, launched this week, seeks to rally prospective athletes, their families, alumni, and fans to “withhold athletic and financial support” from prominent universities in states that have enacted measures believed to “limit, weaken or erase Black voting representation.”
This initiative could significantly impact the composition of teams within the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference if Black athletes choose to participate. The NAACP’s move is a reaction to recent gerrymandering activities following a Supreme Court decision that diminished a crucial part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Civil rights groups have ramped up efforts across the Southern states to challenge redistricting plans by Republican-led legislatures, which have resulted in the elimination of majority-Black congressional districts. These groups are exploring various methods, including mass protests and economic boycotts, to deter such redistricting efforts.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson highlighted the economic impact of Black athletes, stating, “Across the South, Black athletes have helped build some of the most profitable college athletic programs in America.” He emphasized that these programs generate significant revenue and value, much of it derived from Black talent in football and basketball.
The campaign targets states such as Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and South Carolina, contending that the flagship universities in these states benefit significantly from Black athletes and should, therefore, advocate for Black political rights.
Johnson further stated, “Black athletes should not be asked to generate wealth, prestige, and power for state institutions while those same states strip political power from Black communities.”
Pressure is also being applied by Black lawmakers on athletic leagues to take a stand against the redistricting measures in Republican-governed states. The Congressional Black Caucus sent a letter to the commissioners of the SEC and ACC, as well as NCAA President Charlie Baker, indicating their opposition to the SCORE Act unless the conferences oppose GOP-led redistricting in states with major conference members.
The Congressional Black Caucus declared, “The Congressional Black Caucus believes institutions that profit from Black talent and Black communities have a responsibility to stand with those communities when their fundamental rights are under attack. Silence in the face of injustice is not neutrality — it is complicity.”
