SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
ATHENS, Ala. — In a landmark win for voting rights, the Alabama NAACP and other plaintiffs in the Milligan v. Allencase have successfully challenged the state’s congressional redistricting map, with a federal court ruling that the map intentionally diluted Black voting power in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
A three-judge panel found that the Alabama Legislature’s 2023 redistricting map failed to create a second Black-majority congressional district, despite a previous court order requiring it. The court ruled that the Legislature deliberately disobeyed the mandate, thereby violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting.
The ruling permanently blocks the use of the 2023 map and deems it unconstitutional. The decision follows the 2013 Supreme Court ruling in Shelby v. Holder, which weakened federal oversight by striking down Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act—a move that many civil rights leaders say enabled voter suppression efforts to expand.
“This is a win for African Americans in Alabama, especially in the newly drawn Second Congressional District,” said Benard Simelton, president of the Alabama NAACP. “But it is also a win for all Alabamians and voters across the nation. We’re moving in the right direction.”
Simelton also expressed gratitude to community members, legal counsel, and the Greater Birmingham Ministries for their support throughout the case.
“We encourage Congress to take the next step and fully restore the Voting Rights Act,” he added. “When we fight, we win.”