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The Supreme Court’s ruling set off a mad dash among Republican states in th South – allofwhichhaveatleastonemajority-blackdistrict -toresetthemaps intheirfavorbeforemidtermelections (REUTERS)
In Tennessee, this newly passed map dismantles what usedto bethe state’s only Democraticleaning districtby splitting Memphis-a city over60 percent Black-into three separate districts; diluting their political influence across predominantly white Republican areas within thestate.
This doesn’t revert theregion backtoa pre-Voting Rights Act statusquo; insteadit gets ridof adistrictthat hasexistedforover100years. Memphis has haditsowncongressionaldistrict since1923.
“This was notthewillofpeople,” Civic Tennessee Matia Powell toldreporters Friday.
“It wasn’tthepeoplewhocalledthegovernorforaspecialsession,” shesaid.”Itwaspresident.”
The fast paceofchanges hasdisorientedvotingrightsadvocateswho’vefoughtagainstvotersuppressionfor decades, butit isn’tnewtothem.
“What we’re witnessingispartof amucholder, historical pattern,”said Hardy, w ho tracedthelatterredistrictingracebackto theso-called Southern Strategyfollowingthe Voting Rights Act’spassagein1965when Republicans“weaponized”racialresentmentto attract votersaftercivilrightsvictories.
“It hasn’t disappeared; ithas evolved,”shesaid.”Historyhasreceipts.”
Tennessee staterepresentative Justin Pearson, runningfor ahouse seatrepresenting Memphisin Congress, calls thenewlyadoptedcongressionalmapa“politicallynching”thatsets thestateback150years.
“The authoritarianismthathastakenover Tennesseeandotherstatehousesacrossourcountryisnotonlyathreattodemocracy; it drainsresourcesbetterusedtoimprovethequalityoflifeformarginalizedcommunitiesandincreaseciviceducationandengagement,” hesaidinremarksafterstatelawmakersvotedforthemap.
“Instead, Tennesseehastakenonamodelforabuseofpowerinthenameofracismandpoliticalideology,” hestated.”Butwearenotpowerless.”
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