Redistricting Threatens Black Representation in U.S. Congress After Supreme Court Ruling
An April Supreme Court ruling weakened a key part of the Voting Rights Act, allowing Republican-led Southern states to redraw congressional maps to eliminate majority-black districts. Alabama has already used this to redraw Rep. Shomari Figures' district, putting his reelection at risk.
Just over a year after his 2024 election, Democratic Congressman Shomari Figures helped secure $1 million in federal funds to build a civic center in Tuskegee, Alabama. The facility will serve as a storm shelter and house the city's police and fire departments. But the money arrived just as the political landscape shifted.
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that significantly weakened a provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that had helped ensure minority representation in Congress. The decision allows Republican-led states in the South to redraw congressional maps to eliminate majority-black districts. Alabama quickly moved to redraw Figures' district, making it majority white. Figures, a Democrat, now faces a tough reelection fight in November.
Tuskegee Mayor Chris Lee fears the loss of Figures could leave the city without crucial federal support. "All of our issues, we do depend on federal funding," he said. "It's very important that we have someone who has our back."
Before Figures, Tuskegee was part of a whiter, more conservative district represented by Republican Mike Rogers, who declined to comment. In 2023, the Supreme Court struck down Alabama's previous map for violating the Voting Rights Act by diluting black voting power. The court forced the creation of two majority-black or near-majority-black districts. But the new April ruling makes it much harder to challenge maps on racial discrimination grounds.
Figures believes Alabama's actions are racially motivated. He pointed to a text message from a state legislator referring to Montgomery, the capital city, as "monkey town." Montgomery is over 60% black. The message was cited by a three-judge panel that blocked the state's earlier map.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall argues the redistricting is a partisan battle, not racial. He noted that Democrats have gerrymandered in California. Cedric Coley, chair of the Alabama Young Republicans, said his state is conservative and deserves representatives who reflect that. He opposes federal intervention in redistricting. Civil rights activist Joe Reed disagreed: "In Alabama, with the polarized voting we have, everything is race."
In Eufaula, a town where a white mob killed six black men heading to vote in 1874, the stakes are high. Black residents face poverty at nearly 57%, over four times the rate for whites. Mary Porter, 71, who marched as a child for the Voting Rights Act, said: "We should have a voice here, and it should be equality and justice for all."
