My Letter to Georgia Corporations About the Jim Crow-Esque Voting Bill SB-241
On the heels of Bloody Sunday, the Georgia General Assembly has moved to pass the most damaging voting restrictions aimed at Black Georgian voters since the dawn of the civil rights era. Private entities in Georgia can take a stand, and many organizations are calling on local companies to make their voices heard. I’d like to encourage everyone to write to these companies and tell YOUR STORY. Words matter, and if you’re not sure where to start, here’s my email to various CEOs in Georgia.
Subject: My Plea to You as a Black Woman About the Georgia Voting Bill and How You Can Help
Dear Ed,
I am writing to you today as a woman of color in America that is concerned about the future of this country, and I’m hoping to convince you in the next two minutes just why democracy is good for business and how racial equity makes this great land better for all.
As a Millennial with my own business pursuits, my personal experience living, working, and growing up in this great country has been both full of happiness and full of pain. Although I love America, America doesn’t fully love me back because of the color of my skin. The truth is that this great country was not created for people who look like me to be free. But I believe in this country. I smile as I walk through Georgia’s beautiful green forests, and I know that my voice can shape the future of a nation that I’ve been able to live and pursue my dreams.
The Georgia legislature is seeking to pass SB 241, which is a Jim Crow era tactic to block minority voters from casting their ballot. This bill targets early voting on Sundays–the days Black churches traditionally hold “Souls to the Polls” get-out-the-vote drives. In the 2020 election, the Black community voted on weekends at a higher rate than whites in 43 of 50 of Georgia’s largest counties. The bill doesn’t stop there. It also seeks to enforce many other racist provisions, such as outlawing offering food or drinks to people standing in line to vote while severely restricting early voting at the same time.
This breaks my heart. The memories of those that have bled and died for our freedom, my freedom, and the memories of those who bled for equal rights like the great John Lewis come to mind. This cannot be our future, and I am personally asking that you lead your organization in advocating for the many diverse employees that are part of your company, Georgia, and America to fight against systemic racism.
Corporate America is in a unique position at such a time as this, and you Ed, are capable of playing a significant part in ending racist policies.
Will you join the fight for freedom?
Kind Regards,
Tephra Miriam
Sent to:
Aflac President, Teresa White
Delta CEO, Edward Bastian
Delta President, Glen Hauenstein
Coca Cola CEO, James Quincey
UPS CEO, Carol Tomé
Home Depot CEO, Craig Menear
Southern Company CEO, Tom Fanning
Randstad CEO, Karen Fichuk
Inspired Brands CEO, Paul Brown
There are 100 companies in Georgia that could make a difference and we can add to this list!
