Supreme Court Case Puts Black Voting Power at Risk

Across Louisiana and beyond, Black communities are watching the Supreme Court’s latest voting rights case with deep concern, knowing that their hard-fought political voice may once again be at risk. After a federal court ruled Louisiana’s 2022 congressional map violated the Voting Rights Act for discriminating against Black voters, the state legislature added a second majority-Black district to reflect the reality that more than one-third of the population is Black. Yet now, that very effort is under scrutiny at the highest court, raising fears that race-conscious protections will be dismantled altogether.

“The key question is whether a state can take race into account,” legal analyst Sarah Isgur explained — but for Black voters, the real question is whether their political existence will be erased. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act has long stood as a shield against tactics like “packing” and “cracking” Black communities, which weaken their voting power. “Section 2 has been absolutely critical… we’re not there yet,” said Sophia Lin Lakin of the ACLU, emphasizing that racial discrimination in voting remains an active barrier, not a relic of the past.

For many Black residents, this is not an abstract legal debate — it is about representation, survival, and having leaders who understand their communities. “If the court accepts those arguments, it could effectively dismantle Section 2,” warned law professor Spencer Overton. He cautioned that states like Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas could dismantle districts where Black and Latino voters currently have a chance to elect candidates who reflect their needs.

This case arrives in a long line of decisions weakening federal protections. Since Shelby County v. Holder gutted preclearance requirements in 2013, and Brnovich v. DNC narrowed Section 2 in 2021, Black voters have witnessed doors to justice closing. Jeffrey Rosen of the National Constitution Center put it plainly: “What’s at stake is whether there’ll be any teeth left to the Voting Rights Act at all.”

As the Supreme Court prepares to rule, they brace for a future where even acknowledging race becomes illegal, but racial inequality remains untouched. The decision, expected by June 2026, could redefine whose voices count in American democracy.

Link:  ABCNews