Sixty years after the Voting Rights Act transformed America’s democracy, its protections may be on the chopping block once again — and Black voters could pay the price.
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Louisiana v. Callais, a case that could further weaken one of the last remaining pillars of the landmark 1965 law — Section 2, which prohibits election practices that discriminate based on race. The case centers on Louisiana’s congressional map, where one-third of the population is Black, yet only one of six districts has a Black majority. When lower courts ordered a second majority-Black district, a group of white voters sued, claiming the map was “racist” against them.
If the conservative majority strikes down Section 2, it could open the door to even more aggressive gerrymandering — effectively silencing millions of Black voters nationwide.
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) says the threat couldn’t be clearer.
“The Voting Rights Act—should we be concerned? Absolutely,” she told the Defender. “We should have passed the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to replace the Voting Rights Act they’ve been decimating for years.”
Crockett reminded voters that this is not the first time the court has chipped away at the law’s core.
“When the guardrails came off in 2013 with Shelby County v. Holder, Texas and other southern states ran amok,” she said. “We needed those guardrails then — and we need them today.”
Section 5, which once required states with histories of racial discrimination to get federal approval before changing voting laws, was gutted in Shelby County. Since then, many states have enacted restrictive laws, from voter ID requirements to purges of voter rolls. Section 2 is now the last line of defense against racial gerrymandering — but Louisiana v. Callais could erase that, too.
“Anyone who says we’re in a post-racial society and don’t need Section 2 anymore is ignoring reality,” Crockett added. “My district in Texas is a Section 2 seat. That means African Americans get to decide who goes to D.C. We should always be able to have our voice at the table.”
Crockett said that while the Supreme Court’s rulings may erode federal protections, Black voters still have the power to protect their interests at the ballot box.
“Everything we need, education access, health care, financial mobility, comes through policy,” she said. “If we don’t vote, we lose our seat at the table.”
As local and state elections approach this November, advocates urge Black voters to stay engaged, volunteer as poll workers, and support efforts that safeguard fair elections. History has shown that when turnout is low, the results often fail to reflect the true will of the community.
Because as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once warned, throwing away the protections of the Voting Rights Act now would be “like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you’re not getting wet.”
