The NAACP issued a letter to all professional athletes urging them to avoid playing for Texas teams because of the state's 'dangerous attacks on freedoms'

• The president of the NAACP sent a letter to professional athletes urging them not to sign with Texas-based teams.
• The letter cited the state's new abortion law, congressional map, and attorney general's decision to sue school districts with mask mandates.

The president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People sent a two-page letter to professional athletes on Thursday urging them to not sign with any team based in Texas.

The president of the NAACP, Derrick Johnson, said his reasoning for the letter stems from the state's new abortion law and a congressional map out of line with its growing diverse population. He also cited the Texas attorney general's decision to sue schools that are enforcing mask mandates to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

"From abortion to voting rights and mask mandates, Texas has become a blueprint by legislators to violate constitutional rights for all, especially for women, children and marginalized communities," the letter said.

Texas' new law allows anyone to sue an abortion provider or anyone who "aids and abets" the procedure after the 6-week gestational period. If successful, the plaintiff can receive at least $10,000 in addition to court fees.

Texas legislators recently passed a new congressional map with two new districts, however, neither district will be in a region with a majority of people of color despite being responsible for 95% of the state's population growth over the past decade.

Lastly, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued a bevy of Texas school districts who are refusing to abide by Gov. Greg Abbott's ban on mask mandates and are requiring masks in their schools, bypassing the governor's executive order.

"Texas legislators would rather have children as coronavirus patients than implement laws that protect their most vulnerable demographic," Johnson's letter reads.

The NAACP's letter penned its letter to athletes in the National Football League, Women's National Basketball Association, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and the National Hockey League. Texas hosts nine professional teams spread among the five leagues.

"We are now pleading with you -- if you are a free agent and are considering employment in Texas, look elsewhere," the letter says. "The Texas government will not protect your family."