Corporate Leaders Must Take Measurable Action and Invest in an Inclusive Democracy in Defense of Black Voting Rights

DALLAS, TX, UNITED STATES, April 13, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Young Black Lawyers’ Organizing Coalition (YBLOC), a nonpartisan movement of young Black lawyers and law students who successfully campaigned to protect and empower Black voters during the 2020 general election and the Georgia runoff elections, is now calling for corporate leaders to take action in defense of Black voting rights.

“We are challenging corporate leaders to make their statements of support for Black voting rights real by taking measurable action in defense of Black voting rights,” said Abdul Dosunmu, YBLOC’s founder and chief strategist. “We have laid out a set of concrete actions that corporations must commit to with urgency to demonstrate that they truly believe in inclusive democracy.”

YBLOC is demanding that corporations divest from voter suppression and invest in an inclusive democracy by publicly committing to the following actions:



-Divest all corporate financial contributions from elected officials, trade associations, and lobbying organizations that support voter suppression laws and policies.

-Invest $25 million per corporation over the next two years in the protection of Black voting rights.

-Engage independent experts to conduct a thorough civil rights assessment of corporate governmental affairs and lobbying practices, and clearly establish local, state, and federal corporate policy priorities in opposition to voter suppression and in favor of pro-democracy reforms, including national voting rights protections.

-Support the full political participation of workforces by providing paid time-off to vote.

-Immediately schedule a C-Suite-level meeting with YBLOC leadership regarding these demands and the specific steps being taken to meet them.

Read the full open letter here.

Legislatures are pursuing a brazen voter suppression agenda that severely threatens Black voting rights. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, there are more than 360 bills with provisions to restrict voting access in 47 states. “Corporations have issued statements of support for Black voting rights, but this moment demands that they now take measurable, tangible action to help fight voter suppression,” said Dosunmu.

In addition to meeting with CEOs and corporate executives, YBLOC will also engage at the grassroots level, conducting teach-ins to highlight the significance of these issues within the community.

During the 2020 general election, YBLOC led a seven-state voter protection campaign focused on protecting and empowering Black voters through community-centered voter education and local advocacy. YBLOC’s voter-protection campaign in Arkansas included coordinating litigation to protect 132,000 absentee ballots that were at risk of not being counted due to Arkansas’ arbitrary counting deadline. In response to the litigation, the Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners issued an order requiring that the counting of absentee ballots continue until all votes had been counted.

About The Young Black Lawyers’ Organizing Coalition (YBLOC)
The Young Black Lawyers’ Organizing Coalition (YBLOC) is a nonpartisan, community-centered movement of young Black lawyers and law students working to protect and empower Black electoral voice through voter education, strategic advocacy and impact litigation. We work in collaboration with grassroots Black communities to fight for full access to electoral democracy and to realize full electoral voice.

Taryn Brown
Taryn Brown + Co
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