NAACP, SC lawmaker ask Black athletes to boycott USC, Clemson amid redistricting fight
South Carolina is the target of a boycott proposed by the NAACP Tuesday, which asks Black athletes and fans to withhold talent and money from public universities in states pursuing middecade redistricting.
The “Out of Bounds” campaign asks Black athletes to boycott programs in states that have “moved to limit, weaken or erase Black voting representation” after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map. The opinion also weakened a section of the Voting Rights Act protecting residents from racial discrimination in redistricting.
Following the high court’s decision, South Carolina quickly began the process of redrawing its congressional map to oust U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn. Clyburn represents the state’s congressional district with the highest Black voting age population.
South Carolina state Rep. John King, D-York, echoed the boycott demand Tuesday before the state House approved the new congressional map. He called on Black athletes to not commit to predominantly white schools, including the University of South Carolina and Clemson University.
“Boycott them,” King said on the House floor. “Do not run down their courts, do not score touchdowns in their stadiums and do not fill their arenas and make their coaches rich and their athletic departments flourish with cash, while the legislators who control the state draw maps specifically designed to cancel out the voices and the vote for people who look like you.”
He said instead athletes should go to HBCUs, such as South Carolina State University, Claflin University, Benedict University and Allen University, among others in the state.
“You cannot gerrymander away Black political power on Monday, then expect Black athletes to sell out your stadiums on Saturday. You cannot erase our votes and cash out checks at the same time,” King said.
The South Carolina House passed a new congressional map early Wednesday morning, just after midnight. The proposal, which aims to create seven districts favoring Republican candidates, will be debated in the Senate beginning Wednesday afternoon.
The NAACP also asks fans and alumni to withhold financial support from the targeted universities and athletic programs. The boycott targets several southern states, including South Carolina, and public universities with athletic programs generating more than $100 million in revenue annually, according to a news release. The NAACP wants to call out efforts to dilute Black voters’ voices while states benefit from the contributions of Black athletes, according to a news release.
“The NAACP will not watch the same institutions that depend on Black athletic prowess to fill their stadiums and their bank accounts remain silent while their states strip Black communities of their voice,” NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a news release.
To participate, Black athletes shouldn’t commit to targeted programs and “seriously consider HBCUs,” in addition to asking coaches where they stand on voting rights, according to the news release. Current college athletes should speak about redistricting and voting rights, the NAACP requested. And fans, donors and alumni should support HBCUs through merchandise and ticket sales, rather than the targeted universities, according to the news release.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson opposed the NAACP’s boycott Tuesday. Wilson, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, testified in support of South Carolina’s redistricting effort.
“Student athletes should not be used by the NAACP for political gain because they disagree with a Supreme Court ruling,” Wilson wrote on social media.
Calls to spokespersons for the University of South Carolina and Clemson athletics were not immediately returned Wednesday morning.
