This Congressional Black Caucus wrote to hundreds of major U.S. companies on Tuesday, urging them to oppose Republican-led congressional redistricting efforts publicly, escalating Democrats’ campaign against new voting maps they argue dilute black voting power.
In the letter sent to more than 250 corporations, according to the Associated Press, the caucus called on businesses to condemn what lawmakers described as “coordinated efforts to silence Black voices at the ballot box” through the elimination of majority-black congressional districts in several states.
The letter targeted companies that previously supported voting rights or racial equity initiatives following the death of George Floyd and during debates over election laws.
The caucus, which includes 59 black Democratic lawmakers in Congress, argued that corporations have a responsibility to speak out as GOP-controlled states redraw district boundaries following a recent Supreme Court ruling that weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. Lawmakers contend the decision opened a door for states to redraw maps in ways that reduce black representation in Congress.
The caucus tied voting rights to corporate and economic stability, saying fair representation is necessary for companies to succeed.
“Free and fair elections are not separate from economic stability or corporate success,” the letter said. “When voting rights are weakened and entire communities are systemically denied fair representation, the legitimacy and stability of the institutions that underpin our economy are weakened as well.”
Several southern states, including Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida, and South Carolina, have become focal points in the redistricting fight, with Republicans seeking to redraw districts represented by Democrats or reduce the influence of Democratic voters.
Republicans have defended the map changes as lawful and necessary to comply with the Supreme Court’s guidance limiting the use of race in drawing congressional districts.
The push to enlist corporate pressure marks the latest step in a broader effort by the caucus and allied civil rights groups to challenge new maps. Last week, the bloc joined the NAACP in backing a campaign encouraging black athletes to boycott public universities in states it accused of undermining black voting power through redistricting.
The letter asks companies to reaffirm their support for voting rights publicly, engage with caucus members on the issue, and disclose political spending connected to officials backing the redistricting plans.
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“Silence in this moment is not neutrality,” the letter said. “It is complicity.”
Corporations were asked to issue a joint statement, report on corporate political spending, and participate in a “national convening” of the CBC, civil rights leaders, and movement organizations.