LDF Statement on Supreme Court Ruling Striking Down Two Racially Gerrymandered Districts in North Carolina

Read the PDF of our statement here.

NAACP LDF Statement on Supreme Court Ruling Striking Down

Two Racially Gerrymandered Districts in North Carolina

In a 5-3 ruling, the Supreme Court today affirmed a lower court ruling invalidating the boundaries of two Congressional districts in North Carolina, agreeing with a Federal District Court that state lawmakers relied too heavily on race in drawing them after the 2010 midterm elections. LDF President and Director-Counsel Sherrilyn Ifill issued the following statement in response: 

“We are pleased that the Supreme Court has rejected these districts, which were clearly drawn with an intent to illegally pack as many Black and Latino voters into as small an area as possible, thereby minimizing their political power and diluting their ballots. This is a significant victory in the ongoing struggle to ensure that minority voters can fully participate in our democratic process, and it should send a strong signal to other states that attempts to neutralize Black and Latino voters through racial gerrymandering will be struck down as illegal and unconstitutional.”

Justice Elena Kagan authored the majority opinion, joined by Justices Ruth Badger Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, and Stephen Breyer. Justice Samuel Alito authored a partial dissent, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy. Justice Neil Gorsuch was not involved in this case.

Press:

• David G. Savage, Supreme Court Finds the GOP Packed Black Voters into Two North Carolina Districts to Help Win More House Seats, Los Angeles Times (May 22, 2017)
• Andrea Noble, Supreme Court Rejects North Carolina Congressional District Maps, Washington Times (May 22, 2017)

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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization and 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. 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 NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.