NAACP Calls for Boycott of Southern Universities by Black Athletes

The NAACP is urging Black athletes to refrain from offering their talents, as well as funding, to public universities located in southern states. The organization believes these institutions are undermining voters’ rights.

During a segment on “Jason Whitlock Harmony,” host Jason Whitlock highlighted a speech by NAACP President Derrick Johnson about this proposed boycott. “They’re calling on Black athletes to avoid schools in the South,” Whitlock emphasized.

Johnson expressed strong sentiments about the importance of representation, stating, “Without representation, there is no income. Black individuals shouldn’t support a system that aims to revive sharecropping—a system that profits off our labor. It’s not our responsibility to hold accountable those who should already know better.” He further suggested that reforming Congress to uphold the Constitution for all should be a priority, asserting that the NAACP supports the Congressional Black Caucus in urging high school athletes to shun state-funded universities in areas that work against their voting rights and electoral choices.

Johnson pointed out that 55% of African Americans reside in the former Confederate South, yet emphasized that many reject Confederate ideologies regarding their worth and representation.

He made a stark declaration: “Our democracy is at risk,” though Whitlock and his panel expressed skepticism. Virgil Walker, in his commentary, questioned what would happen to athletes who choose not to attend these schools, arguing that such actions won’t overturn Supreme Court decisions or the issue of gerrymandering.

Walker criticized the campaign’s clarity, stating, “It doesn’t change anything. Why should Black players sacrifice so much for something that seems foggy and illogical?”