NAACP asks professional athletes to boycott Texas

The NAACP is asking professional athletes to boycott Texas. They issued a letter to players associations in major league baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and women's basketball, asking them to rethink their willingness to play professional sports in the state of the Texas.

"We must stand up for what is right and protect our loved ones from the dangerous attacks on freedoms taking place in Texas," the letter reads.

The letter was sent to "every professional sports players' association in the country, urging its free agents to reconsider signing contracts in Texas," the NAACP said.

They wrote: "Texas lawmakers have destroyed the state’s moral compass by passing these laws. In return, we are asking that you seek employment with sports teams located in states that will protect, honor and serve your families with integrity.

"We are now pleading with you -- if you are a free agent and are considering employment inTexas, look elsewhere. The Texas government will not protect your family. Demand that Texas owners invest in your rights and protect your investments. Texas is not safe for you, your spouse, or your children. Until the legislation is overturned, Texas isn’t safe for anyone," the letter reads.

They wants players to take a political stand against the state to uphold progressive policy positions. The NAACP is not a fan of recent laws passed in Texas, including laws that are pro-life, uphold election integrity, and oppose COVID-inspired restrictions. Another recent law was passed to protect girls' sports.

"If you are considering signing in Texas, I ask you to ensure that owners are upholding their responsibility of protecting you, the athlete, and your family," NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson wrote in the letter. "I ask you to use your influence to help protect the constitutional rights of each individual at risk."

The letter was additionally signed by Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe.

"As we watch an incomprehensible assault on basic human rights unfold in Texas, we are simultaneously witnessing a threat to constitutional guarantees for women, children and marginalized communities," they write.

"Over the past few months, legislators in Texas have passed archaic policies, disguised as laws, that directly violate privacy rights and a woman's freedom to choose, restrict access to free and fair elections for Black and brown voters, and increase the risk of contracting coronavirus. If you are a woman, avoid Texas. If you are Black, avoid Texas. If you want to lower your chances of dying from coronavirus, avoid Texas."

"When all else fails, we must look within and answer the call to protect the basic human rights and democratic values which are fundamental to this country" said Johnson said. "Professional athletes serve as some of our country's greatest role models and we need them to join us to fight for democracy."

"The continued attacks on people of color in the state of Texas are reprehensible," said Bledsoe said. "In the absence of federal action, advocates in Texas must stand together and use all of the tools at their disposal to ensure that basic human rights are delivered to the people of Texas. We must fight for our Constitution and the freedoms that it guarantees to all Americans."

NBA superstar Enes Kanter has asked Nike, and players who have branded shoes with Nike, to visit forced labor camps in China where the Uyghur Muslim minority. For Kanter, duly passed laws in the state of Texas are not the primary problem for an NBA that supports the nation of China and its slave labor practices.

NAACP President Johnson also is a big supporter of President Joe Biden's sweeping agendas designed at social change and fast reforms. Per his Twitter, Johnson has also supported the demand that AT&T sever all ties with conservative cable news channel OAN. Johnson also favored the firing of Jon Gruden over personal emails he'd sent more than 5 years ago.

Texas is home to nine pro sports teams. In basketball, there are the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and the WNBA's Dallas Wings. The NFL has the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys. There are also two baseball teams, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. The Dallas Stars play in the NHL.