The Congressional Black Caucus has called on more than 250 major corporations to publicly oppose Republican-led redistricting efforts that lawmakers say are aimed at eliminating majority-Black congressional districts and weakening Black political representation.

Details on the CBC’s letter to large corporations

On Tuesday, CBC members sent a letter urging companies that previously supported voting rights and racial justice initiatives such as the Democratic-led John Lewis Voting Rights Act to take a stand against what it described as “coordinated efforts to silence Black voices at the ballot box,” according to The Associated Press.

The CBC’s recent efforts are in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling issued earlier this year that weakened the Voting Rights Act of 1965, allowing several states to advance new legislative redistricting maps that have affected Democratic lawmakers in those regions.

Rep. Yvette Clarke says companies that rely on Black workers should support the message

“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 CBC, said, per AP.

She also described the outreach as “putting corporate America on notice,” while stressing the caucus is not seeking an adversarial relationship with businesses.

The Congressional Black Caucus is expanding its push against Republican-led redistricting, including calling for Black athlete boycotts at public universities in states redrawing maps that could eliminate Black-held districts. The caucus is also urging corporations to condemn the efforts, meet with lawmakers and disclose political donations tied to redistricting states.

While the number of company responses remains unknown, one company, outdoor clothing retailer Patagonia, received the CBC’s letter and endorsed its message.

Additionally, the CBC argued that companies that previously backed racial equity efforts after George Floyd’s murder and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot are now being tested. The caucus said the Supreme Court’s ruling threatens Black representation in Congress and reflects broader political power struggles.