Story perspectives

Tennessee GOP Pushes Black District Split, Leaders Protest

5/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

Black community leaders and several Republican legislators oppose Tennessee’s plan to split its Black-majority congressional district.
Governor Bill Lee called a special session for May 5, 2026 to consider redrawing the Memphis 9th district.
Rep. Mark White and Rep. Michele Reneau said redistricting should follow the decennial census, not a mid-term session.
Civil-rights groups including the NAACP held town halls and protests in Memphis, warning the split could dilute Black voting power.

History

Historical Context

In 1993 the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Shaw v. Reno that race-based congressional maps must meet strict scrutiny under the Fourteenth Amendment. The ruling built on the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which required preclearance for states with histories of vote dilution, and influenced Miller v. Johnson. Tennessee’s 2024 plan to split Memphis’s 9th district faces a Shaw-Reno challenge to protect Black voting strength.

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Story summary

Black community leaders and several Republican legislators oppose Tennessee’s plan to split its Black-majority congressional district.
Governor Bill Lee called a special session for May 5, 2026 to consider redrawing the Memphis 9th district.
Rep. Mark White and Rep. Michele Reneau said redistricting should follow the decennial census, not a mid-term session.
Civil-rights groups including the NAACP held town halls and protests in Memphis, warning the split could dilute Black voting power.

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