NRF: New Alabama Map Delivers Justice to Black Voters, Marks Significant Step Toward Fairness
For Immediate Release
October 5, 2023
Contact
Brooke Lillard
lillard@redistrictingfoundation.org
NRF: New Alabama Map Delivers Justice to Black Voters, Marks Significant Step Toward Fairness
NRF Backed Ligation Has Led To The Creation Of An Additional Black Opportunity District in Alabama
Washington, D.C. – Alabama has a fairer congressional map today with an additional Black opportunity district as a result of a legal challenge brought by the National Redistricting Foundation (NRF), the 501(c)(3) affiliate of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC). A federal three-judge panel in Alabama adopted a compliant map to replace the previous gerrymandered map, which had been struck down due to its failure to provide Black Alabamians an equal opportunity to participate in the political process. As a result of the court-adopted map, Alabama could have two Black Members of Congress representing the state simultaneously for the first time in history.
“Last year, Alabama held federal elections with a gerrymandered map that diluted the voting power of, and denied equal representation to, the state’s Black residents in violation of the Voting Rights Act. One year from now, those same Black voters in Alabama, who comprise more than a quarter of the state’s population, will finally have the opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice across two congressional districts. That is progress,” said Marina Jenkins, Executive Director of the NRF. “NRF is incredibly proud to have been a part of the team behind the tenacious Alabama voters who saw their rights were being violated, challenged the broken status quo, went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States, won a landmark voting rights victory, and continue to demand fair and equal representation for all.”
The new map selected by the court creates two congressional districts with a Black voting age population above or close to 50% while adding no additional county splits. All of the 18 Black Belt counties are included in one of the two opportunity districts.
In Alabama, Black voters make up 27% of the voting age population, though for decades have had the opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice in only 14% of the state’s congressional districts.
This is the final step of the remedial process in Alabama following the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Allen v. Milligan to uphold Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The NRF has provided financial support and directed the litigation strategy for the Caster plaintiffs since this case was originally filed in 2022.
Despite a ruling from the Supreme Court of the United States, Alabama Republicans were united in refusing to draw a second Black opportunity district. Republican Congressman Jerry Carl even said “by all means” the Alabama legislature should defy the federal courts. When the state of Alabama defied federal court orders, the NRF was involved in efforts to push back in court, which ultimately led to Alabama’s new congressional map.
###