NAACP Calls on Black Athletes & Fans to Withhold Support of Public Schools in States Attacking Black Voting Rights

The NAACP today launched the "Out of Bounds" campaign, a national call for Black athletes, families, fans, alumni, and consumers to withhold athletic and financial support from public universities in states that have moved to limit, weaken, or erase Black voting representation in the wake of the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which gutted what was left of the Voting Rights Act. The NAACP identified eight priority states — Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, and Georgia — and targeted flagship public athletic programs generating more than $100 million in annual revenue that continue to recruit Black athletes while their state governments dismantle the political power of Black communities.

"What these states have done is not a policy disagreement. It is a sprint to erase Black political power," said Derrick Johnson, President & CEO, NAACP. "These actions happened in days, in some cases in hours, of a Supreme Court ruling that gives extremist lawmakers a playbook to erode Black representation. 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. Out of Bounds is our answer: we are naming the contradiction, and we are calling on Black athletes, families, fans, and consumers to act on it. The same power that built these programs can be redirected. And it will be."

The economic stakes of the campaign are significant. The flagship universities in the eight targeted states collectively generate billions of dollars in annual athletic revenue.

The "Out of Bounds" campaign focuses on one primary ask, calling on top football and basketball recruits currently being actively recruited by targeted programs to withhold their commitments until the states in question restore fair congressional maps and meaningful Black representation. The campaign also calls on current college athletes — including those who may already be enrolled at targeted programs — to consider their options, including the transfer portal, and to use their platforms and NIL reach to elevate fair maps and voting rights.

"This generation of Black athletes understands something that those who came before them were never afforded the chance to say so plainly: your talent is yours, and so is your community's political power," said Tylik McMillan, National Director, Youth and College Division, NAACP. "These are not separate issues. 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. We are asking young people — recruits, current athletes, fans — to see that connection clearly and to act on it. The Out of Bounds campaign is about redirecting what has always been ours, power and perseverance."

The campaign issues calls to action across three audiences. 

• Black athletes and recruits are asked to withhold commitments from targeted programs, to ask coaches and athletic directors where their universities stand on voting rights, and to visit and seriously consider HBCUs.
• Current college athletes are asked to use their platforms to elevate the issue, to ask institutional leadership for public statements opposing racial vote dilution, and to consider all available options under the transfer portal.
• Fans, alumni, donors, and consumers are asked to stop purchasing tickets, merchandise, and licensed apparel from targeted programs and to redirect that spending to HBCUs — their athletics programs, scholarship funds, NIL collectives, bands, and alumni foundations.

The Out of Bounds campaign will remain in effect until targeted states adopt state-level voting rights protections, repeal maps that dilute Black voting power, restore congressional and judicial districts that reflect the Black population's actual strength, and commit to transparent and community-centered redistricting processes. Our sentiment is clear: No Representation. No Recruitment. No Revenue.

Congressional Black Caucus Statement on Republicans’ Rigged Tennessee Congressional Maps

Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement:

“Today, Tennessee joined Florida in passing new congressional districts after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. At President Trump’s urging, Republican Gov. Bill Lee called a special legislative session to adopt a new map dividing Shelby County, including majority-Black Memphis, into three separate districts. These same lawmakers even removed a provision in state law requiring voters to be notified when polling places change after redistricting.

“What the Tennessee Legislature did is tantamount to theft—the theft of fair representation and the deliberate stripping away of political power from Black communities. It is an attempt to silence voices and deny Black voters representation reflective of their lived experiences and the issues impacting their communities every day. The consequences will not be theoretical; they could have life-and-death ramifications for Black families and communities across Tennessee.

“As gas prices and the cost of living continue to rise as a direct result of their policies, poll after poll shows Donald Trump and Republicans headed toward defeat in the midterms. They know their only pathway to victory in November is to rig congressional maps in their favor. Republicans will stop at nothing in pursuit of single-party rule in Washington, but what they did not expect was a Democratic response this forceful.

“We applaud Democrats in the Tennessee State Legislature for fighting back for fair representation for the people of their state. We are working with partners in state legislatures across the South, alongside the legal and civil rights communities, to challenge these maps in court and mobilize our communities to the ballot box.”

SUPREME COURT VOTING RIGHTS RULING PROTESTED AT FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN NEWARK NJ

Social justice activists and labor leaders outraged by a recent Supreme Court ruling in a major voting rights case protested at a federal district courthouse on Wednesday.

The demonstration took place May 13th at the Martin Luther King Federal Courthouse in Newark, New Jersey. It was sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress.

“We held this protest in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Louisiana v. Callais case. That ruling has effectively killed the 1965 Voting Rights Act,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated.

“It will enable states to redraw their congressional districts and eliminate those which have majority black populations. This in turn will cause many black congressional representatives to lose their seats,” Hamm said.

He said the court’s ruling is a major set back to the African American struggle for voting rights and political representation in the United States. It will leave many states, particularly those in the South with no Black congressional representation.

“This may be one of the worst U.S. Supreme Court decisions since the ruling in the Dred Scott case of 1857 which said that black people had no rights that white people were bound to respect,” he said.

As soon as the protesters arrived they set up a picket line outside the entrance of the courthouse. They chanted and drummed while carrying signs and banners.

Courthouse security came outside and watched them from the steps but did not interfere. Drones hovered above the demonstrators for several hours until the conclusion of the protest.

Through the loudspeaker that they brought with them their chants could be heard several blocks away. During the protest they had a number of speakers representing community, labor, and religious groups.

Unlike most demonstrations where the crowd stops to listen to the speakers, during this event they made their presentations during the picketing. The picket line never stopped moving. It continued until the demonstration was over.

Hamm opened the rally saying the protesters were there to oppose this “abominable” decision by the court and that they demanded the restoration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“We demand that Congress pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act at the federal level. We demand that the state legislature pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act of New Jersey. It has been passed by the Assembly now we want it passed by the Senate,” he said.

“We also demand the reform and restructuring of the Supreme Court. Lifetime appointments must end, term limits should be imposed, and stronger ethics laws should be put in place,” he said.

Speakers at the rally included Deborah Smith-Gregory, President, NAACP Newark, Larry Hirsch, President, Local 913 American Federation of Government Employees, Daryn Martin, Secretary-Treasurer, District 1199J, and Rev Michael Corso, Sophia Inclusive Community.

Other speakers there were Jimmy Small, Chairman, Muslim League of Voters of New Jersey, Zayid Muhammad, New Jersey Communities for Accountable Policing, and Assatta Mann-Colon, Community Organizing Manager, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

Additional speakers addressed the crowd including Heather Richner, Associate Counsel for the Democracy and Justice Program, Rev Anya Sammler, Senior Co-Minister Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair, Evelyn Williams, Vice Chairwoman, South Ward Democratic Committee, and Larry Adams, Vice Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress.

An earlier written statement announcing the protest also called for the expansion of the court from nine to thirteen justices to allow for the appointment of four liberal members to break the ideological stranglehold of the current right wing super majority on the court.

During the demonstration the protesters called for the impeachment of those justices that were part of the court majority that issued the ruling in the Callais case. They also called for the impeachment of President Trump.

For more information please call People’s Organization for Progress at 973 801-0001.

Lupus Foundation of America Rallies Communities to Make Lupus Visible for Lupus Awareness Month

Throughout the month of May, the Lupus Foundation of America is encouraging people living with lupus, friends, family members and partners to be loud and use their voices more than ever before to Make Lupus Visible for Lupus Awareness Month. The nationwide and global effort will raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of lupus, amplify the real-life stories of the day-to-day impact of living with lupus, and raise funds to support lupus research, education programs and support services.

Lupus is a complex and debilitating chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system is unable to tell the difference between healthy tissue and foreign invaders. This can result in inflammation, debilitating pain and damage to any organ system in the body. The symptoms of lupus often impact day-to-day life and can cause serious, and even fatal, complications, including lupus nephritis (lupus-related kidney disease) which can impact up to 60% of people with lupus and lead to kidney failure.

While lupus can affect anyone, nine out of 10 people with lupus are women and the disease disproportionately impacts certain racial and ethnic backgrounds including Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander. An estimated 1.5 million Americans are living with lupus.

To help raise awareness of this misunderstood disease, the Lupus Foundation of America is featuring an interactive online Know Lupus Quiz as a key component of this year's Make Lupus Visible campaign. The quiz tests participants' knowledge about lupus, provides the correct answer following each question and directs the participant to helpful resources for more information. Participants are also asked to share the quiz on social media, and with friends and family, so that more people understand the devastating impact of lupus and to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of lupus that help reduce time to diagnosis.

"Lupus Awareness Month is a reminder to everyone impacted by lupus of the incredible power our collective voices can have on so many around us," said Louise Vetter, President & CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America. "Just by taking the Know Lupus Quiz and sharing it with others, you can make someone with lupus feel more understood or raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of lupus so they can have an informed conversation with their doctor - conversations that are key in reducing time to diagnosis."

The Know Lupus Quiz is just the start of ways to get involved during May. While many symptoms of lupus may be invisible, throughout the month, the Lupus Foundation of America is encouraging everybody to take part in making lupus visible by:

• Raising the awareness of lupus by sharing facts and resources using the Lupus Foundation of America's awareness toolkit.
• Joining the lupus community on May 10 for Put on Purple for World Lupus Day by loudly and proudly wearing purple, sharing why raising lupus awareness is important to you, and using facts and shareables from the World Lupus Federation Toolkit to spark conversation and highlight the importance of understanding this disease.
• Tune in to the hundreds of streamers participating in Game On! To End Lupus, where content creators livestream to fundraise, raise awareness and unite to end lupus all May long.
• Hosting a fundraiser or starting a Facebook fundraiser, and inviting your community to support the fight to end lupus.
• Donate to support lupus research, resources and education programs, and support services.

"The Lupus Foundation of America invites everyone to Make Lupus Visible this May - each voice adds power to our fight to reduce time to diagnosis, accelerate research for better treatments and make a world without lupus a reality," added Ms. Vetter.

For more information on Lupus Awareness Month and how to get involved, visit www.lupus.org/lupusawarenessmonth.

POP CHAIRMAN LAWRENCE HAMM ENDORSES MAYOR RAS BARAKA FOR RE-ELECTION

A longtime civil rights activist has announced his support for the re-election of the current mayor of Newark in the city’s upcoming Municipal election on Tuesday, May 12th. 

“I am endorsing Ras Baraka for mayor of Newark because I believe that at this time he is the best choice among the candidates running in the city’s upcoming general election,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated. 

“He is the most qualified and he is the most experienced of those in the race. Regarding the workings of government at the local, state and federal levels he is the most knowledgeable.” Hamm said. 

“During this period of instability in the country it is important for the city to have strong, steady and dependable leadership. We find those qualities in the mayor,” he said. 

“This is not to say that he has not had challenges, or that he won’t have challenges to face in the future,” he said. 

“However, it is to say that over the years he has accumulated a record of accomplishments and that he is prepared to handle future problems,” Hamm, a former candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020 and 2024, stated.

Hamm has been a supporter of the mayor for many years. As an activist he first became involved with the mayor’s father poet, playwright, author, educator, and activist Amiri Baraka in 1971. 

He has endorsed all four of Ras Baraka’s campaigns for mayor. In the aftermath of Amiri Baraka’s passing in 2014 Hamm endorsed Ras Baraka’s first campaign for mayor that year. 

Since then he endorsed the next three subsequent mayoral campaigns and last year’s gubernatorial campaign. 

Hamm went on to say that he has endorsed Mayor Baraka because he is politically progressive and has been outspoken on a number of issues that are a part of the progressive agenda. 

Some of these include jobs and economic justice, raising the federal minimum wage, universal basic income, police brutality, reparations to African Americans for slavery, and defending immigrant rights. 

He established Newark’s first police review board and supports legislation to give police review boards subpoena powers. Having such powers would make these review boards more effective in their investigations, deliberations, and decision making. 

“I am supporting the mayor is because he speaks out on issues that affect working people, poor people, and people of color even when those issue are controversial,” he said. 

“Again and again I have seen him speak at rallies, marches, demonstrations, and protests of those struggling against injustice,” Hamm said. 

“On Election Day, Tuesday, May 12th, I urge Newark residents to vote Ras Baraka for mayor of Newark,” he said.