Selection of New Maps Creates Second Majority Black District in State after Surprise SCOTUS Ruling Earlier This Year
Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), issued the following statement on a federal court panel’s selection of new Congressional maps in Alabama, which creates a second majority Black district in the state. The three-judge panel’s decision is the result of the surprise decision in Milligan v. Allen this June, in which the Supreme Court ruled the Alabama legislature drew district lines in violation of the Voting Rights Act.
“Today’s decision is another step in the right direction for a state that historically has disenfranchised Black American’s access to jobs, housing, and most of all the vote. Many of us might have been shocked when the right-wing Supreme Court ruled in favor of Black voters this June, but we are comforted to see the justice system follow through today and deliver a second majority Black district in this state. This is a good day – one we have been fighting for since John Lewis and hundreds of marchers were beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. But let’s not forget that states are in this mess because the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act a decade ago. We must use this moment to galvanize the push for Congress to finally pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The march must go on.”
About National Action Network (NAN)
National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender.
For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net
