Story perspectives

Supreme Court Overturns Louisiana Map, Sparks Southern Black District Battles

5/7/2026

Summary

Story summary

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Louisiana’s congressional map, prompting redistricting proposals targeting majority-Black districts in the South.
Republican-led legislatures in Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina are advancing plans that could split or eliminate majority-Black seats, including a Tennessee Senate proposal to split Memphis into three districts.
Alabama’s House approved a bill for a May 19 special primary if courts allow a new map, overturning a federal order creating a Black-majority district.

History

Historical Context

In 1993 the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 opinion by Justice Kennedy, struck down North Carolina’s 13-district map as a racial gerrymander. The decision applied strict scrutiny under the Fourteenth Amendment and cited the Voting Rights Act of 1965, extending Baker v. Carr’s “one person, one vote” principle. Today challenges in Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina invoke Shaw’s legacy.

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Story summary

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Louisiana’s congressional map, prompting redistricting proposals targeting majority-Black districts in the South.
Republican-led legislatures in Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina are advancing plans that could split or eliminate majority-Black seats, including a Tennessee Senate proposal to split Memphis into three districts.
Alabama’s House approved a bill for a May 19 special primary if courts allow a new map, overturning a federal order creating a Black-majority district.

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