Press Releases

On Tuesday, May 26, 2026, Chairwoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued a letter urging Corporate America to defend our nation’s democratic principles and publicly reaffirm its commitment to voting rights and equal representation amid growing attacks on fair representation and Black political and economic power in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais.

Five years ago, more than 200 companies and business organizations publicly declared in a letter to Congress that democracy and equal access to the ballot box were fundamental American values. In that letter, businesses across the United States called for strengthening the Voting Rights Act to “prevent voting discrimination” and ensure that “voters of color who remain the targets of voter suppression have equal and unfettered access to the democratic process.”

The Congressional Black Caucus has sent a letter to those companies — and to additional corporate leaders across this country — because silence is not an option at this moment.

In the aftermath of the Callais decision, Republican-led legislatures and governors in states across the South have moved rapidly to redraw congressional maps ahead of the November election in a brazen effort to dilute Black voting strength, weaken Black representation, undermine Black economic power, and reverse decades of hard-fought civil rights progress secured through the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The consequences of this democratic erosion extend far beyond politics. When communities lose meaningful political representation, they also lose equitable access to resources, infrastructure, healthcare, education, environmental protections, economic investment, and public safety. The health and long-term stability of Black communities are directly tied to whether those communities have a meaningful voice in the decisions that shape their daily lives.

Protecting democracy is a shared responsibility. At moments of national consequence, corporations that have benefited from Black consumers, Black talent, and Black communities cannot retreat into silence while Black political power is openly dismantled in plain sight.

In the letter, the CBC urged Corporate America to reaffirm its previously stated commitment to voting rights and equal representation by:

• Issuing an individual or joint public statement condemning efforts to dilute Black voting strength and dismantle the protections of the Voting Rights Act;

• Reporting on corporate political spending, contributions, and relationships connected to elected officials, organizations, and efforts advancing discriminatory redistricting schemes or attacks on voting rights;

• Engaging directly with the Congressional Black Caucus, civil rights organizations, movement leaders, and impacted communities regarding the growing threats to Black political representation and democratic participation; and

• Accepting an invitation from the Congressional Black Caucus to participate in a national convening alongside civil rights leaders, advocates, and movement organizations to discuss the urgent defense of voting rights and Black political power in America.

U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus:

“Five years ago, corporations across America publicly affirmed that democracy, racial equity, and voting rights matter. Today, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Callaisdecision, those commitments are being tested in real time. Corporations that have profited from Black consumers, relied on Black workers, and benefited from Black communities cannot remain silent while Black political representation is dismantled in plain sight. Silence in this moment is not neutrality — it is complicity. The Congressional Black Caucus is calling on Corporate America to publicly reaffirm its commitment to voting rights, equal representation, and the democratic principles so many companies pledged to uphold just a few years ago. Every institution that claims to believe in democracy has a responsibility to act like it.”