(Washington, D.C.) – In an open letter to leaders of corporate America, the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) and mayors from more than 50 cities voiced deep concern over the erosion of voting rights and fair representation due to the recent Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana vs. Callais, and urged corporate leaders to stand with cities by publicly reaffirming their commitment.

“We are witnessing a targeted, systematic effort to roll back rights and freedoms that our ancestors fought and died to secure,” said AAMA President and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. “That effort did not begin with this case, and make no mistake, it will not end here. But just as our ancestors did, we have a responsibility to fight back against any attack on our hard-won freedoms. Many times, people wonder what they would have been doing if alive during the civil rights movement. Their action or inaction today is the simple answer.”

AAMA joins a growing chorus of civil rights organizations and the Congressional Black Caucus, which recently issued its own call to corporate America, urging corporate leaders to publicly condemn efforts that weaken Black voting power, disclose political spending and ties to initiatives supporting discriminatory redistricting, and come together for a national convening.

“When the residents we serve lose meaningful representation in Congress and state legislatures, our communities lose far more than a political voice. They lose federal and state partners on affordable housing production, public safety investment, infrastructure modernization, workforce development, maternal health, youth opportunity, and small business growth,” according to the AAMA letter. “The mayors signing this letter understand this connection with particular clarity, because we spend every day translating policy decisions made elsewhere into outcomes on the ground: paving streets, opening clinics, funding violence intervention programs, expanding housing supply, and strengthening the institutions that hold communities together.”

As part of its call to action, AAMA will also bring together member mayors and corporate partners for a deeper discussion on how they can work together to support nonpartisan voter education and civic engagement, and foster community-based conversations on election security and voting rights.