September 9th 2023.
After months of refusing to draw new congressional lines that would ensure Black voters had the majority, federal judges in Alabama have announced that they will create a second district themselves. This news was met with approval from former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who expressed his support for the court’s decision.
The ruling comes after the state was sued by progressive rights groups in January 2022. The plaintiffs argued that Alabama’s existing district lines made it difficult for Black voters to choose their desired representatives. The state attempted to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, claiming that districts should not account for race, but the court ultimately upheld the initial decision.
Lawmakers then proposed only one congressional district with a majority-Black population, which has further drawn criticism from civil rights groups and Democratic leaders. This issue has been in the spotlight since the Supreme Court voted to uphold the Voting Rights Act in June. The act requires that majority-Black states’ congressional maps accurately reflect their population.
As the battle of wills between Alabama Republican lawmakers and the state’s Black constituents and progressive rights groups rages on, the status of upcoming elections in the region is still uncertain. It is clear, however, that the court’s decision to create a second district is a significant step toward equal representation for Black Alabamians.
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