Major League Baseball has announced that the 2021 All-Star Game in Atlanta, Georgia, at Truist Park, the home of the Atlanta Braves, due to a new Georgia law with civil rights groups worried about the potential not to allow people of color to vote.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred put out a statement saying, “Over the last week, we have engaged in thoughtful conversations with Clubs, former and current players, the Players Association, and The Players Alliance, among others, to listen to their views,” said Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred. “have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft. Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box. In 2020, MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help build a future in which everyone participates in shaping the United States. We proudly used our platform to encourage baseball fans and communities throughout our country to perform their civic duty and actively participate in the voting process. Fair access to voting continues to have our game’s unwavering support.”
The Atlanta Braves put out a controversial statement acknowledging their disappointment of the All-Star Game moving to a different city, stating, “This was neither our decision nor our recommendation and we are saddened that fans will not be able to see this event in our city. The Braves organization will continue to stress the importance of equal voting opportunities, and we had hoped our city could use this event as a platform to enhance the discussion. Our city has always been known as a uniter in divided times, and we will miss the opportunity to address issues that are important to our community. Unfortunately, businesses, employees, and fans in Georgia are the victims of this decision. We will continue to support the community legacy project, which have been planned and are in progress.”
The Governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, a Republican, signed a law on March 2021, which has brought new restrictions on voter fraud claims during the 2020 election. New requirements include new identification requirements for absentee voting, limited dropbox usage, including a misdemeanor offense for groups to offer food and water while voters wait in line. All of these new restrictions will make it harder for residents in urban areas. According to the United States District Court Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division, a national study, there are as many as 25% of Black voters that do not have a valid form of a government-issued photo identification compared to the 11% of voters of all races. This new law creates a challenge for Black voters because, according to United States District Court Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division, they are more likely to work more than one job compared to workers of other races, which eliminates the opportunity for their electoral participation due to limited hours of voting. For example, Fulton county’s population is 44% black, and the county installed eight to ten mobile voting units, which was permitted for easy access for Fulton County and surrounding counties, but is now prohibited, which is another challenge for the Black community to vote.
Major League Baseball has taken the initiative by moving the 2021All-Star game to make a statement. It is still unknown where the 2021 All-Star game will occur, but it should be known that it will not be in a city considering the same laws as Georgia.
Jason Hochberg 