They are trying to take us back to before 1965 – Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones
On April 18th, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) took us back to before 1965. In a 6-3 ruling in the case of Louisiana v. Callais, the court struck down Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district, holding that race-conscious redistricting under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is unconstitutional.
The now voided Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 stated:
This section, along with the entirety of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, gave Black and minority communities increased representation in Congress and eliminated barriers to the ballot. After the Act passed, the number of Black members in Congress increased from 6 in the 90th Congress (1967-1969) and 24 in the 101st Congress (1989-1991). As of now, the Congressional Black Caucus sits at over 60 members. Not only did it increase representation, but it also outlawed poll taxes and literacy tests, two barriers preventing Black communities from making it to the ballot. By 1966, the percentage of Black voters who registered soared. From 5% to 32% in Mississippi, 11% to 51% in Alabama, and from 27% to 72% in Tennessee. The VRA was essential in providing Black voters the representation they needed to see change in their communities.
These implications of Louisiana v. Callais are not limited to Louisiana. The ruling gives more states the authority to eliminate majority-minority districts across the United States. Southern states such as Tennessee have passed a new map, wiping out the only majority-Black district in the state. Soon, Southern states like Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and others will follow suit, creating new maps, and intensifying their efforts to dilute majority-minority communities’ voices. These new maps could wipe out over 30% of the Congressional Black Caucus, diminishing the number of members from 64 to around 30.
The Supreme Court’s decision in striking this section down was the majority’s belief that Louisiana’s prior map already had one majority Black district and that the creation of a new district was not required under the VRA, stating that the “map is an unconstitutional gerrymander”. In Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurring opinion, he wrote that the court “should never have interpreted §2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to effectively give racial groups ‘an entitlement to roughly proportional representation.’”
Among the judges who dissented were Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan. Justice Kagan authored the dissenting opinion stating that, “The Voting Rights Act, is—or, now more accurately, was—‘one of the most consequential, efficacious, and amply justified exercises of federal legislative power in our Nation’s history.’ It was born of the literal blood of Union soldiers and civil rights marchers. It ushered in awe-inspiring change, bringing this Nation closer to fulfilling the ideals of democracy and racial equality.”
The decision to strike down Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 brings us to an era of disenfranchisement and oppression. This decision will raise the bar for racial discrimination in voting maps, making it easier to redraw districts in ways that dilute Black political power across the South. The ruling will also result in fewer opportunities for people to elect representatives who reflect their beliefs and values.
In response to the SCOTUS’ decision to reshape Black political power, over 90 civil rights, voting rights, faith, labor, and community organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), came together on May 16th for a National Day of Action called All Roads Lead to the South. Advocates gathered to protest and march through Selma, Alabama, beginning at the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church and crossing through the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
This All Roads Lead to the South Movement is coming 60 years after Bloody Sunday. Bloody Sunday occurred on March 7th, 1965 when about 600 civil rights marchers tried to peacefully walk from Selma to Montgomery to demand voting rights. The marchers were violently confronted by law enforcement at the Edmund Pettus Bridge which resulted in brutal attacks on the peaceful protestors. Following this incident, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed.
This SCOTUS decision is a wake-up call to Black Americans and minorities across the United States. It is time to rise up, organize, and mobilize our communities. The fight for freedom never ended; it is just now beginning.
Image sourced from blklivesmatter via Instagram.