Story perspectives

Civil Rights Leaders Launch “Second Reconstruction” After Callais Ruling

5/19/2026

Left

Civil Rights Leaders Launch

Civil rights leaders gathered in Alabama to launch a new “second Reconstruction” following the Supreme Court’s Callais decision.
The Court’s Callais ruling narrowed Section 2 claims to intentional racial discrimination, raising the burden for proving violations.
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell said Democrats will push to restore pre-clearance and end partisan gerrymandering.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson warned the decision threatens decades of voting-rights progress and urged organizing.

Right

Mike Hurst Restores

Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Mike Hurst said the decision restores the state’s ability to draw maps under the Constitution.
The Supreme Court vacated the 2025 order that required Mississippi to redraw three state legislative districts.
The Callais ruling narrowed Section 2 claims to intentional discrimination, raising the burden to prove violations.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, arguing the case concerned only Section 2’s private enforceability.

History

Historical Context

The Voting Rights Act, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6 1965, immediately added about 250,000 Black voters and required preclearance of election changes in 13 Southern states. After the Supreme Court struck down the coverage formula in Shelby County v. Holder (2013) and narrowed Section 2 in Brnovich (2021), the 2026 Callais decision further curtails enforcement, prompting the NAACP and Rep. Terri Sewell to demand new federal safeguards.

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Civil Rights Leaders Launch

Civil rights leaders gathered in Alabama to launch a new “second Reconstruction” following the Supreme Court’s Callais decision.
The Court’s Callais ruling narrowed Section 2 claims to intentional racial discrimination, raising the burden for proving violations.
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell said Democrats will push to restore pre-clearance and end partisan gerrymandering.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson warned the decision threatens decades of voting-rights progress and urged organizing.

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