Last month, we completed our Easy A series on gerrymandering, but we’re returning to the topic one more time with breaking news!
On April 29, the U.S. Supreme Court issued their decision in Louisiana v. Callais, a racial gerrymandering case we previously told you about. They ruled exactly as we feared: gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, clearing the way for racial (and racist) gerrymandering. It’s the biggest blow to our voting rights since the act was passed in 1965.
Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund who argued this case before the Court, warned us that this ruling will change the future of redistricting for all voters, dilute the power of Black and brown voters, and drastically reduce the number of representatives of color in Congress.
It’s a huge blow, but we can still fight for a true, multiracial democracy, starting with demanding that Congress pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This act would restore the hard-won voting rights gained during the Civil Rights era and protect them for everyone.
