‘A Jackie Robinson moment’: Jeffries echoes NAACP calls for college sports boycott over voting rights
Top House Democrat calls out SEC schools for silence
Campaign comes as states move to redraw voter maps
Hakeem Jeffries, the top US House Democrat, has amplified calls for Black athletes to boycott public universities in states that have moved to limit voting rights, saying an unprecedented moment, featuring an unprecedented attack on Black political representation" requires an unprecedented response".
Jeffries's comments came Tuesday as the NAACP launched its Out of Bounds" campaign. The campaign targets universities in eight states - Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Georgia - whose athletic programs generate more than $100m in revenue. Those eight states have moved to draw new voter maps after the supreme court's Louisiana v Callais decision severely weakened the Voting Rights Act.
Continue reading...