The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which challenged the drawing of a second majority-Black district in the state, changes everything. Here’s how.
The Voting Rights Act included provisions that required voting district maps to be drawn in a way that preserved equitable representation for Black voters. Those provisions are now gone. Anyone opposing a map drawn during redistricting will have to prove it was intentionally discriminatory.
The change will allow states to get away with drawing district lines in ways that undercut the political power of Black voters. Currently, Democrats represent many minority districts, but this ruling could help Republicans lock in enough seats to control the House for a generation.
Black voters in Louisiana are not the only ones affected by this ruling. These changes create a model for other states to replicate, especially across the South, where most Black Americans live. NPR reported that at least 15 U.S. House districts concentrated in the South and represented by Black members of Congress are at risk.
Now, some advocates are pushing for more states to pass their own Voting Rights Acts to ensure that Black voters are protected. Our ancestors literally died for us to have the right to vote. The fight is far from over.