NAACP, lawmakers call on Alabama, Auburn to ‘stand up’ to redistricting efforts in ‘SEC boycott’
Redistricting changes in several states were spurred by a U.S. Supreme Court decision late last month.
Olivia Bennett 
The battle for voting rights has entered the arena of collegiate athletics as the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and the NAACP are calling for a widespread boycott of eight SEC athletic programs. This push for action comes amid intense legislative scrutiny and growing frustration regarding voting rights across the South.
Legislative Standoff and the SCORE Act
This development follows a week of political friction in Washington, where a bid to bring the SCORE Act to the House floor failed. The CBC formally opposed the legislation, arguing that it primarily serves institutions that have remained silent while Black political power is weakened across the region.
Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., who previously co-sponsored the bill, shifted his stance to join the CBC in opposing the measure this week, according to a post on X by Alabama Daily News reporter Alex Angle.
Redistricting and the Call to Action
The pressure on these universities follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found Louisiana had illegally gerrymandered districts by race. Shortly thereafter, the Supreme Court granted Alabama's appeal, allowing the state to move forward with a congressional map that eliminates one of the previously mandated minority “opportunity districts.”
NAACP executive director Derrick Johnson emphasized that these universities benefit from the talent of Black athletes and should not remain neutral. "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," Johnson said.
Pressure on Alabama and Auburn
Lawmakers are specifically targeting the University of Alabama and Auburn University, urging both schools to take a stand. The CBC echoed this sentiment in a post on X, which was shared by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala. The statement noted that silence in the face of injustice is essentially complicity, asserting that institutions profiting from Black talent hold a responsibility to advocate for the communities that support them.
