Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Alabama lawmakers impermissibly diluted the power of Black voters in violation of the Voting Rights Act when they drew a congressional map with only one majority-Black district. In response, William Roberts, acting senior vice president for Rights and Justice at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
The carving up of Alabama’s Black Belt communities to dilute Black voting power is a textbook example of the kind of discriminatory impact the Voting Rights Act was designed to prevent. Despite the Supreme Court’s shameful practice over the past decade of repeatedly gutting the law, this ruling preserves what power the historic law has left. The Voting Rights Act remains just as important today as when it was passed six decades ago. It is a bulwark against the historic discrimination that Black voters have endured in America, and one of the few ways to guarantee these voters can participate effectively in the political process.
While the court’s decision preserves this critical part of the law, Congress must bring the landmark law back to full strength by passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. And the Biden administration and Department of Justice must do everything in their power to protect the fundamental right to vote.
For more information, or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].