Today, the Texas Legislature passed a new congressional map that further weakens electoral opportunities for Black Texans and other voters of color in the state. The Legislature forced this map through a rushed and non-transparent legislative process, denying the public meaningful opportunities to understand the proposed map and participate in the process. The overwhelming majority of testimony opposed any mid-decade congressional redistricting under the current circumstances and warned the legislatively proposed maps would harm Black Texans and other people of color.
Texas is home to the largest number of eligible Black voters in the country. Black and Hispanic voters have a history of forming coalition districts in the state to elect the candidates of their choice. This minimization of electoral opportunities for Black voters is an attack on their constitutional rights.
In response to the passage of the map, Legal Defense Fund (LDF) Director of Policy Demetria McCain issued the following statement:
“Black voters are not a tool for legislators to use to cut up maps as they see fit. This redistricting process in Texas is a shameful power grab at the expense of Black voices.
“Redistricting should be a sacred process, designed to empower voters in a transparent manner. The Texas leadership has instead made a mockery of our political process.
“The right to fair representation and free elections is the foundation of our government. If politicians continue to chip away at the foundation of our democracy, it will crumble atop our heads. We must raise our voices against redistricting efforts that harm the political power of Black Texan voters and other voters of color and that risk further damage to those communities.”
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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation’s first civil rights law organization. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957 — although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.
