After several Hollywood A-listers threatened to boycott the state of Georgia over its voter integrity law, the Director’s Guild of America (DGA) has sent a letter to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp condemning the law as an act of “voter suppression.”
The letter, initially obtained by Deadline, parrots the words of President Joe Biden by referring to the law “an ‘atrocity’ and as a modern-day version of Jim Crow.” DGA president Thomas Schlame and national executive director Russell Hollander penned the letter.
“On behalf of the more than 18,000 members of the Directors Guild of America (DGA), including more than 400 who make their home in Georgia, and hundreds more who choose Georgia as the location for their film and television projects, we write to condemn the voter suppression law Senate Bill 202, which threatens to undermine the pillar of our democracy – the right to vote. President Biden has referred to the law both as an ‘atrocity’ and as a modern-day version of Jim Crow,'” the letter reads.
“The DGA is a labor organization that represents the creative and economic rights of directors and members of the directorial team working in film, television, commercials, documentaries, news, sports, and new media,” it continued. “The DGA has long been a supporter of the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act that has driven increased motion picture and television production in the state in recent years, spurring economic activity that supports 44,070 jobs and more than $3.64 billion in wages. However, as a leading voice representing creative workers in the industry, we are compelled to denounce SB 202, which will disenfranchise our members, and disproportionately impact our members of color, and millions of other hardworking Georgians.”
Beyond that, the DGA assails the voter integrity law as a racist act designed to oppress black people.
“We vehemently reject the notion that making it harder to vote is consistent with America’s democratic values,” it continues. “SB 202 revives discredited practices intended to suppress the voice of Black people and other people of color that were so common in the days before the landmark Voting Rights Act, such as allowing for unlimited challenges to a voter’s registration – a notorious tactic used to racially profile and intimidate voters of color.”
Just last week, movie mogul Tyler Perry, who runs a television and movie studio in Atlanta, decried the election integrity law as a “voter suppression law,” declaring it unconstitutional.
“As a Georgia resident and business owner I’ve been here a few times with the anti-abortion bill and the LGBTQ discrimination bill,” Perry told Fox News. “They all sent a shockwave through Georgia and the nation but none of them managed to succeed.”
Perry went as far as to liken the new law to the “Jim Crow era,” though he cautioned others against boycotting the state, noting the blue outcome of the 2020 election.
“I’m resting my hope in the DOJ taking a hard look at this unconstitutional voter suppression law that harkens to the Jim Crow era,” he continued. “As some consider boycotting, please remember that we did turn Georgia blue and there is a gubernatorial race on the horizon — that’s the beauty of a democracy.”
Related: Black Executives Condemn Georgia Election Law: ‘Voter Suppression’