NAACP targets Florida in ‘Out of Bounds’ voting maps campaign tied to college sports

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. (WCJB) - The NAACP’s “Out of Bounds” campaign is targeting eight Southern states where lawmakers approved new congressional and legislative maps that NAACP leaders say weaken Black voting power.

In Florida, the Alachua County NAACP says the state became a focus after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed new congressional maps into law that eliminated a Black-majority district in North Central Florida.

Alachua County NAACP President Evelyn Foxx said the changes could impact Black student-athletes, including those at the University of Florida.

“It seems kind of unfair for the governor to come up with something where we don’t receive fairness,” Foxx said. “Our democracy is being stripped by the redistricting, and I think we have had athletes who came here and left here because they thought the University of Florida is kind of unfair to African Americans.”

The Alachua County NAACP says the campaign is not a traditional boycott and is not aimed at corporations or businesses. Instead, the organization describes it as a civic engagement effort centered on college athletics.

RELATED: NAACP calls for boycott of Southern college sports programs over voting rights

As part of the campaign, the NAACP is asking recruited student-athletes to consider the political climate in the states where they may attend school.

The group is also encouraging athletes already enrolled to speak publicly about voting rights and redistricting issues.

The campaign additionally calls on fans and supporters to pause some discretionary spending tied to college sports in targeted states until what the NAACP considers fair voting maps are restored.

“We ask fans, alumni and supporters of these college sports to pause their discretionary spending of tickets, merchandise, apparel, concessions, in all of these states,” Foxx said. “It’s not just Florida, but it’s in all of the states in the southern area.”

The Alachua County NAACP said the broader goal is to pressure lawmakers and raise awareness about what it describes as ongoing voting rights concerns in Florida.

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