Story perspectives

Supreme Court Ends Section 2, Tennessee Splits Memphis District

5/11/2026

Summary

Story summary

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais removes federal protection against racial gerrymandering.
The Court declared Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act a dead letter.
Tennessee split Memphis into three congressional districts, eliminating the Black-majority district.
Several other Southern states announced plans to redraw their maps after the ruling.
The opinion cited the 1944 Smith v. Allwright decision that ended white primaries.

History

Historical Context

The 1965 Voting Rights Act required preclearance for jurisdictions with histories of racial discrimination; the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder (June 2013) struck the coverage formula, freeing 38 jurisdictions, including Tennessee, from DOJ oversight. In 2026 the Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision declared Section 2 unusable, paving the way for Tennessee to split Memphis into three districts and reviving historic racial-gerrymandering tactics.

1 of 2

Story summary

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais removes federal protection against racial gerrymandering.
The Court declared Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act a dead letter.
Tennessee split Memphis into three congressional districts, eliminating the Black-majority district.
Several other Southern states announced plans to redraw their maps after the ruling.
The opinion cited the 1944 Smith v. Allwright decision that ended white primaries.

1 / 2