Patagonia Is Pledging $1 Million to Fight for Voting Rights in Georgia

Photo credit: Robert Alexander - Getty Images
Photo credit: Robert Alexander - Getty Images

Patagonia doesn't shy away from politics. The brand spent much of the previous administration fighting efforts to eliminate federally protected land and producing some (truly fantastic) "Vote the Assholes Out" tags for its clothing in the run-up to the 2020 election. So it really shouldn't come as any surprise that this week, the company announced it's pledging $1 million to fight restrictive voting laws—ones that would disproportionately impact Black voters—in Georgia and around the country. Still, it's a very welcome development.

"On March 25, Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia signed a new, restrictive voting-access law that limits early and absentee voting and ballot drop-box locations; piles on rigid voter ID requirements; and gives people in power the ability to challenge election results they don’t like," Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert said in a statement. "Governor Kemp claims the new law will shore up faith in the election system, but in reality, it will only make it harder for Georgians of all racial, socioeconomic and political stripes—especially Black voters—to elect their representatives."

In response, Patagonia is donating $1 million, split evenly between Black Voters Matter Fund and The New Georgia Project, to help the organizations challenging the new law and working to register voters. In addition, Patagonia is asking businesses to send letters to the senators in states where they do business, calling on them to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and to commit to spreading that message among their business partners.

"Protecting our democracy is an all-hands-on-deck commitment that’s ongoing," Gellert said. "Standing in solidarity with Black CEOs and business leaders, I call on fellow CEOs to join in denouncing these attacks on our democracy and to do more than make a corporate statement. The strength of our democracy depends on every vote being counted everywhere, and we must protect access to the ballot box."

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