A controversial Supreme Court ruling on voting rights is fueling calls for Black athletes to boycott powerhouse college programs in Southern states accused of diluting Black political power. Supporters say Black athletes could wield the same economic leverage that once helped integrate college sports itself. This article originally appeared in The Houston Defender.
Supporters of an athlete boycott say schools in states accused of gerrymandering should not benefit from Black athletic talent without protecting Black voting rights.
America — particularly Black America — is at a difficult crossroads that literally threatens the complexion of our nation.
Last month’s Supreme Court ruling that blew up Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, allowing states to redistrict and gerrymander to dilute the vote of Black Americans, threatens to set our voting rights back significantly, especially in the South, if we don’t do something.
Sure, we protest, we can scream, and just be pissed off.
But our real fighting power is in showing up at the voting polls like never before and withholding our buying power where our vote isn’t respected.
We also have another power that is sure to get the attention of white folks who don’t think we should have a say in this country’s political landscape. It’s through our gifted young Black athletes, whom they love to cheer for in the uniforms of their favorite college athletic teams.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling in the Louisiana vs Callais case, Black people are calling for the top Black athletes to avoid playing for any primarily white college or university in the South. The calls have come from athletes, journalists, and even celebrities like actor and New Orleans native Wendell Pierce to boycott the Southeastern Conference in particular.
#BlackAthletes #SECBoycott #VotingRights
