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The
campaign is being led by Frazier and former American Express CEO
Kenneth Chenault, according to the Times
https://www.nytimes.com/
2021/03/31/business/voting-rights-georgia-corporations.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes,
and comes in the wake of Georgia's new voting restrictions,
which sharply limited the use of ballot drop boxes and made it a
misdemeanor to offer food and water to voters waiting in line.
Civil rights groups have launched legal fights against the new
laws, arguing that the measures are intended to make it harder
for people – particularly Black voters – to cast ballots.
Atlanta-based corporations Delta Air Lines Inc and Coca-Cola Co
have faced boycott calls from activists who say they need to do
more to oppose the law.
The executives did not criticize specific companies, but called
on all of corporate America to publicly oppose new laws that
would restrict the rights of Black voters, and to use their
clout, money and lobbyists to sway the debate with lawmakers,
according to the Times.
A letter supporting the campaign was signed by 72 Black
executives including former Xerox CEO Ursula Burns, former
Citigroup chairman Richard Parsons and Uber Chief Legal Officer
Tony West, the report added. The group of leaders, with support
from the Black Economic Alliance, bought a full-page ad in the
Wednesday edition of The New York Times.
Coca-Cola has said it was disappointed with the outcome in
Georgia and would press for improvements to election laws, while
Delta said it has engaged with elected officials to express its
views about a fair and secure election process.
(Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb
Chakrabarty)
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