Story perspectives

Tennessee GOP unveils map splitting Black district after court ban

5/7/2026

Summary

Story summary

After the Supreme Court banned race-based redistricting, Tennessee GOP unveiled a map that would split the state’s majority-Black district.
Speaker Cameron Sexton and Jack Johnson introduced the plan in Nashville, seeking to amend the law limiting redistricting to once per decade.
Civil-rights groups, clergy led by Martin Luther King III, and others warn the map could reduce Black representation, while Southern Republicans aim to add 13 House seats with changes.

History

Historical Context

In 1993 the Supreme Court’s Shaw v. Reno decision required racial gerrymanders to meet strict scrutiny, setting a national redistricting standard. Subsequent cases such as Cooper v. Harris (2017) and Rucho v. Common Cause (2019) built on that legacy, while the 1965 Voting Rights Act’s minority-majority mandate underlies today’s Tennessee map dispute and potential federal oversight.

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Story summary

After the Supreme Court banned race-based redistricting, Tennessee GOP unveiled a map that would split the state’s majority-Black district.
Speaker Cameron Sexton and Jack Johnson introduced the plan in Nashville, seeking to amend the law limiting redistricting to once per decade.
Civil-rights groups, clergy led by Martin Luther King III, and others warn the map could reduce Black representation, while Southern Republicans aim to add 13 House seats with changes.

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