The CBC, one of the most influential caucuses on Capitol Hill, has worked for weeks to lobby against Southern redistricting efforts that followed the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down race-based redistricting in the U.S. The lawmakers have argued that the ruling has allowed Republican-controlled states to diminish Black and minority voting power.Now, the caucus is tying this issue to Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell’s (D-WA) bill establishing a regulatory framework for college sports, which are wildly popular among residents of Southern states, where the Southeastern Conference dominates athletic culture. CBC chair Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) wrote a letter to Cruz and Cantwell on Wednesday, urging them to pause the bill’s consideration, writing, “for generations, Black athletes have helped build college athletics into one of the most powerful and profitable industries in American life.”
“The success, visibility, and cultural influence of major athletic conferences and institutions are inseparable from the talent, labor, leadership, and cultural contributions of Black communities,” Clarke wrote. “The Congressional Black Caucus believes institutions that profit from Black talent and Black communities have a responsibility to stand with those communities when their fundamental rights are under attack.”
