When Louisiana finally won a second majority-Black district in 2024, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. For decades, Black voters like me knew that having only one voting district where we could be heard was not enough to reflect a third of the state's population. So when the state gained a second seat, I thought of those who fought tirelessly before me and never received this fair representation. But with joy comes caution — this fight is far from over.

I've been a member of the team advocating for a fair congressional map in Louisiana since 2022. Now, the state's current congressional map is in jeopardy. This time, a group of "non-African-American" voters have challenged the map that includes two majority-Black districts.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard our case again on Oct. 15 to defend our win for Black voters and fair representation across the country. Louisiana v. Callais is critical in determining the future of Louisiana for Black people. Since the previous redistricting cycle, Louisiana has failed to comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and federal courts have already found that the old map passed in 2022 violated the law by diluting Black power. Under the new map, for the first time in state history, the congressional delegation reflects the population of the state, giving citizens the opportunity to elect a member of Congress to use their voice and stand up for what's right. Louisiana isn't the only state at stake. This case could set a precedent for how race and representation in redistricting are handled nationwide.

I went to register to vote for the first time as a college student in the 1950s. The clerk told me I had to first read and interpret the U.S. Constitution. After I read about a sentence and a half, the clerk realized I had received some education, and I was allowed to register. But my parents had never voted before then. I asked the clerk not to give my mom a hard time, and luckily she was able to register too.

Literary tests for voting were banned under the Voting Rights Act, but our rights are still under attack. As a community activist working to improve the lives of Black people locally and statewide, I recognize the importance of ensuring that all of our rights are protected. There are no rights more essential than the opportunity to elect representatives. To be able to exercise that right as an equal participant in the voting process is a fundamental right of all citizens.

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act guarantees that communities of color have an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. It is one of the last remaining tools we have to protect against racial discrimination in voting and ensure that historically silenced voices are heard. We need fair maps because they are the foundation of a representative democracy. Without them, entire communities are silenced because the game is rigged before it's even started. It is critical that the Supreme Court uphold Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and reaffirm race-conscious redistricting to remedy years of discrimination. Black Louisianians deserve this right just as much as anyone else.

These majority-minority districts are not abstractions. They are lifelines for communities whose voices have been silenced for generations. If Louisiana loses even one of the districts through this case, it would further disenfranchise Black voters in a state already burdened by mass incarceration, immigrant detention and constitutional overreach. We are a third of the population, yet we are severely and consistently underrepresented.

The Constitution guarantees voting rights for Black people, and the Supreme Court must uphold these rights. To build democracy worthy of its name, and to uphold the values listed in our Constitution, we must protect the right of every Louisianian to be fairly represented, to speak freely and to shape the laws that govern their lives.

Dr. Press Robinson is a plaintiff in Louisiana v. Callais. For more than 100 years, the ACLU has worked in courts, legislatures and communities to protect the constitutional rights of all people. With a nationwide network of offices and millions of members and supporters, the ACLU takes on the toughest civil liberties fights in pursuit of liberty and justice for all. To find out more about the ACLU and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at www.creators.com.

DIST. BY CREATORS

Photo credit: Stephen Talas at Unsplash