WASHINGTON–On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, reversing a federal court’s finding that ruled South Carolina’s redistricting of Congressional District 1 was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The ruling undermines the voting rights of Black voters and other voters of color, continuing an alarming trend of decisions that erode fundamental protections against racial discrimination in our electoral process.
“The Supreme Court’s decision in Alexander v. South Carolina effectively grants politicians judicial approval to cloak attempts at suppressing Black voters under the guise of partisanship,” said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “This pretext, a mere distinction without a substantive difference, poses a serious threat of disenfranchising Black voters, stripping them of their rightful ability to participate fully and fairly in the democratic process. Despite this setback, the Lawyers’ Committee remains undeterred and will use all tools in our toolkit to protect the sacred right to vote.”
Hewitt further remarked: “Black voters deserve an equal voice in our democracy, and their votes must count just as much as anyone else’s.
