In A Letter Sent To More Than 250 Companies, CBC Calls On Corporate America To Respond To Redistricting Efforts
The Congressional Black Caucus on Tuesday called on major corporations across the U.S., including companies that previously expressed support for voting rights and racial justice, to oppose redistricting efforts by Republican-led states that seek to eliminate majority-Black U.S. House districts.
In a letter sent to more than 250 companies, members of the Black Caucus urged them to condemn the redistricting efforts, which lawmakers described as “coordinated efforts to silence Black voices at the ballot box.” Some of the companies had previously co-signed a 2021 message to Congress urging passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, a Democratic proposal intended to restore and update the Voting Rights Act.
That 2021 coalition, Business for Voting Rights, included several major companies, including Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Tesla, Salesforce, Target, PayPal, Intel and Starbucks.
Caucus Says Black Political Representation Is At Stake
Tuesday’s letter is the latest effort by the Congressional Black Caucus and its allies to build support against Republican-led redistricting efforts that lawmakers say would dilute Black political representation. Several states have moved to eliminate congressional districts represented by Black Democratic lawmakers after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.
“Corporations that have profited from Black consumers, relied on Black workers, and amassed wealth in part from Black communities cannot look away while Black political power is dismantled in plain sight,” Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Black Caucus, said in an interview.
Clarke described the letter as “putting corporate America on notice,” but said the caucus was not seeking an adversarial relationship with corporations. Companies based overseas with a significant U.S. presence were also among those receiving the letter.
Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Push Follows Sports Boycott Call
The letter comes after the caucus last week called for Black athletes to boycott public universities in states that are gerrymandering congressional maps to eliminate districts held by Black lawmakers. The NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus also backed the “Out of Bounds” campaign, which targeted public university athletic programs in several Southern states over voting rights and redistricting concerns.
The 59-member Congressional Black Caucus consists entirely of Democrats, including more than a third from Southern states.
Some lawmakers have said mass protests and federal legislation may be needed to undo the redistricting efforts underway in Republican-led states. Any new federal voting rights law would almost certainly require Democrats to win majorities in both chambers of Congress and the presidency.
Companies Asked To Condemn Plans And Disclose Donations
It remains unclear how companies will respond. The Associated Press reported it was making efforts to contact them.
“Many companies that previously issued statements after the murder of George Floyd, pledged billions toward racial equity initiatives, and spoke forcefully in defense of democracy following January 6 now face a defining test of whether those commitments were rooted in principle or convenience,” the caucus’ letter states.
The letter also reflects continuing frustration between the Congressional Black Caucus and corporate America. A 2024 caucus report said lawmakers were “troubled that some corporations that made pledges in 2020 have taken several steps in the opposite direction,” including rolling back or failing to follow through on pledges to diversify their workforces.
“We understand who the occupant in the White House is and the reality of Republicans being in charge,” Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada said of the caucus’ message. “But what corporate America also understands is that there will be a shift at some point.”
The caucus is asking companies to publicly condemn the redistricting plans, meet with Black Caucus members to discuss corporate America’s role in protecting voting rights and disclose political donations to Republican politicians in states redrawing their congressional maps.
Also Read: CBC Backs NAACP College Sports “Out of Bounds” Boycott
Trump Redistricting Push Started Mid-Decade Fight
President Donald Trump last year kicked off the unusual mid-decade round of congressional redistricting when he pushed Texas lawmakers to redraw their maps in a way that would add Republican seats. Democratic-led California responded, but most of the redistricting activity since then has come from Republican-led states as the party works to maintain its majority in the U.S. House during this year’s midterm elections.
The effort gained momentum after the Supreme Court decision, which allowed more Republican-led states to redraw congressional maps that had previously protected minority communities. South Carolina’s House recently advanced a congressional map favoring Republicans, one of several redistricting fights unfolding ahead of the 2026 elections.
Horsford, who chaired the Black Caucus during President Joe Biden’s administration, said the caucus is demanding that companies “stand on the side of democracy, fairness and equal representation.”
“This is about power, who holds it and what it’s used for,” Horsford said. “And when you’re diluting Black economic and political power, we need to know where these companies stand in this moment, and what side of history they’re on.”
