The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is calling for action at public universities in states that the organization said are moving to limit the voting representation of Black people. The call comes after the US Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana vs. Callais, which critics argue weakened the Voting Rights Act (VRA).

The “Out of Bounds” campaign, launched on May 19, urged prospective Black student-athletes, recruits, fans, and alumni to withhold their athletic and financial support from public universities in several states.

“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 voices,” said Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, in a statement.

The campaign is an economic boycott aimed at protesting the dilution of Black voting rights and political representation. Following the latest ruling, which severely weakened the remaining protections under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, several Republican-led legislatures moved to redraw congressional districts. This could dilute Black voting power, as new district maps are a direct “sprint to erase Black political power.”

The NAACP campaign identifies eight priority states. Those include Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Now, the civil rights organization’s motive is that these programs should not profit from Black talent. It asked high school athletes to withhold commitments from the targeted schools and choose HBCUs instead.

Then, it urged enrolled scholar-athletes to consider entering the transfer portal and use their NIL reach to advocate for fair voting maps. Meanwhile, alumni and fans are being asked to stop purchasing tickets and instead redirect those financial resources toward HBCU programs.

“The state that is working to erase your grandmother’s congressional district is the same state whose governor will stand on the field and celebrate your touchdown or game-winning shot,” said Tylik McMillan, the NAACP’s national director of the College Division.

Simply put, to pressure public universities to speak up against their state governments, the NAACP is leveraging the million-dollar economic power of Black student-athletes.

However, the campaign comes at a time when it will have a minimal desired effect. Neither Division 1 football nor basketball will have its portal open until the start of next season. That doesn’t leave athletes with many options to participate in the campaign. High school prospects may withhold their commitment or choose to decommit, but even signing day is months away.

NAACP campaign gets backing

The Congressional Black Caucus supports the NAACP’s “Out of Bounds” campaign. The CBC sent a joint letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker and the conference leaders. Unless they push back against racial vote dilution, the CBC will oppose the SCORE Act, which relates to athletes’ NIL and contracts.

“The Congressional Black Caucus cannot support legislation benefiting major athletic institutions that continue to remain silent while black voting rights and black political power are being systematically dismantled across the South,” Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said.

Following the caucus’s announcement, the SCORE Act was removed from the House committee’s schedule.