In light of what some are calling “the new Jim Crow voting law” getting passed in Georgia, more than 100 companies are denouncing the law as well as halting donations and investments to fight other voting bills. As a descendant of those who fought and in many cases gave their life for my right to vote, I know how important it is to make voting accessible. After all it is a right to every American citizen and should be treated as such. Georgia legislatures decided that they did not like the fact that Black voters had so much power and now they are reaping what they sowed. 

To be honest, I could care less about what companies do with their money especially when it comes to Black folks. Black people are accustomed to fighting these battles alone and can do it with or without white CEO’s, but I can say that I enjoy seeing the backlash that Georgia’s legislature is receiving. If anything these companies getting involved teaches Georgia a lesson and other states that are considering doing the same with their bills. 

The ones angry about it and wanting companies to stay out of it reminds me of a certain Fox News host telling LeBron James to “shut up and dribble” as if athletes and companies can not express their political opinions and concerns. This country belongs to them as much as it does to politicians and political commentators and it does not stop belonging to them when they do not agree with the “party of law and order” on a civil rights issue. 

I just find it ironic that in the ‘60s Black people were in the streets fighting for voting rights, fighting against Jim Crow laws and now Black people are again saying “hey stop trying to infringe on our rights” and GOP legislatures do not see the pattern. Nonetheless, these companies do and they are more than welcome to expose it how they want. Of course, the GOP is going to throw a fit about it because that is what they are best at, but hey, they are the party that loves to keep things privately owned. 

And these private companies have the right to halt their private money in any way they choose for whatever reason they choose. So the right can boycott all they want, tweet about it all they want, call the left anything they want, it will not change the fact that these companies see something that they do not: voting is a right, not a privilege and yes it must be protected, but not at the expense of poor and Black communities.