The Congressional Black Caucus PAC announced Thursday that it is endorsing Hillary Clinton for president.

Rep. [crscore]Gregory Meeks[/crscore] said, “On the issues that are important to our constituents, Hillary Clinton has been there. … It is with that background that the CBC PAC decided with no votes to Mr. Sanders … to make sure we endorsed Hillary Clinton to be the Democratic nominee and the next president.”

This is part of a continued effort on Clinton’s behalf to solidify her “Southern firewall.” Even before the New Hampshire primary, Democrats disregarded the importance of its results, Sen. [crscore]Harry Reid[/crscore] said, “You go to New Hampshire, there are not any minorities there, and nobody lives there.” (RELATED: Hillary Clinton Allies Ramp Up Efforts To Play Race Card Against Bernie Sanders)

Rep. [crscore]Keith Ellison[/crscore], who has endorsed Sanders, rebuked this statement regarding a vote of CBC members.

Cong’l Black Caucus (CBC) has NOT endorsed in presidential. Separate CBCPAC endorsed withOUT input from CBC membership, including me.

— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) February 11, 2016

Former NAACP president Ben Jealous, who has also endorsed Sanders, said Thursday on MSNBC that this endorsement is one of loyalty to Clinton. “The reality is voters have to make their own choices. … I think you’ll see that voters will think for themselves.”

Sanders has been making a conscious effort to tout his civil rights record and met with Al Sharpton Wednesday to court his support. The Vermont senator also gained the endorsement Wednesday of influential black writer Ta-Nehisi Coates.

The third highest-ranking Democratic congressman, South Carolina Rep. [crscore]James Clyburn[/crscore] has yet to endorse. He told NBC, “We’ll be meeting with family and friends this weekend when I get down to South Carolina and I’ll make some decision after that.”

In 2008 a majority of South Carolina Democrat primary voters were black.