National Black Justice Coalition Responds to Supreme Court Decision Narrowly Upholding Voting Rights
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | brett@unbendablemedia.com
Statement from Dr. David J. Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, a leading Black LGBTQ+ civil rights organization:
“Today’s decision reaffirms the constitutionality of race-conscious decision-making in redistricting. The ruling underscores the precedence that redistricting maps must not be racially discriminatory or have the effect of racial discrimination by upholding Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
“Let’s be clear, Alabama’s redistricting was a direct attempt to diminish the power of African Americans in the Black Belt – and deny the opportunity to have elected representation that spoke for communities that have lived there for generations going back to the colonial era. This tactic is not new and sadly will be tried again by white supremacists in legislatures seeking to avoid demography shifts and citizens desiring to strengthen democracy by increasing access to the American Dream to those who are systematically denied access and opportunity.
“This would have been catastrophic for the Black LGBTQ+/SGL people who disproportionately live in the Black Belt in the South–compounding existing efforts to marginalize and oppress members of our beautifully diverse community. Today’s ruling will have a significant impact in ensuring Black LGBTQ+/SGL people have an opportunity to vote for representatives who have their best interest in mind when leading and legislating in the Alabama legislature, Congress, and across the country as attacks on our community reach an all-time high.
“Today’s ruling is a reminder that Congress must restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965’s preclearance mandate regarding legislative attempts to suppress Black voter turnout by passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. As we celebrate this ruling, we all must contact our members of Congress and urge them to act now to ensure equal access to the ballot – our democracy cannot afford to wait another ten years for them to do their job.”
