Journalist Ari Berman and Tennessee state Rep. Justin J. Pearson on the right’s “power grab” in the South.
Tennessee Just Eliminated Its Only Black-Majority Congressional District — And It Won't Stop There
Last week, the Supreme Court dealt a devastating blow to the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais, requiring proof of intentional racial discrimination to challenge gerrymandered maps. Translation: it's now nearly impossible to fight racial gerrymandering in court.
Within days, Republican-led states across the South immediately moved to redraw their maps. Tennessee just passed new redistricting that eliminates the state's only majority-Black congressional district — splitting Memphis into three separate districts spanning up to 300 miles.
This is what a power grab looks like.
Democratic State Rep. Justin J. Pearson, who represents Memphis and is running for the congressional seat now being eliminated, spoke to The Intercept about what's happening:
"What is likely to happen is the most significant purging of Black political power and elected Black leaders since the end of Reconstruction. [...] The hatred that hung us on lynching trees did not disappear. It dissipated into institutions of power, into state houses, into governor's mansions, into the U.S. Senate, into the U.S. House, into the presidency of the United States."
This isn't just Tennessee. Louisiana suspended an active congressional primary and threw out cast ballots. Alabama is moving forward with new maps. Across the South, an estimated dozen congressional seats and over 200 state legislative seats could be eliminated through this redistricting wave.
What you can do:
Volunteer for local campaigns and become a poll worker
Support organizations like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Brennan Center for Justice
Attend town halls and contact your representatives
Donate to candidates fighting gerrymandering in affected states
Share accurate information about what's happening
The fight for voting rights didn't end in the 1960s. It's happening right now, in 2026, and we all have a responsibility to act.
