The Leadership Conference Condemns Supreme Court’s Decision to Uphold Racial Gerrymandering in Alexander v. SC NAACP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sofia Costas, [email protected]

WASHINGTON — Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision in Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP:

“Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP is an egregious and blatant assault on the rights of Black voters. It blesses the sin of a clear effort to weaken Black voters’ electoral voice, rather than compete for their votes.

“This decision is an atrocious move by an ideologically conservative majority to install its own ideological views about voting rights — views that are hostile to history and hostile to the Constitution — as we continue to become a country that is more racially diverse. The Court today engaged in a horrendous abuse of power by rejecting the trial court’s factual findings and making it more difficult to challenge unconstitutional racial gerrymandering, dealing a tremendous blow to the ability of communities of color to elect candidates of their choice. As Justice Kagan powerfully wrote in her dissent, the Court appears more concerned about challenges to racial gerrymandering than with state legislatures putting them into place.

“The relentless opposition to perfecting this union continues with attacks on voting and representation — a cornerstone of our democracy. It is 2024. Elections have consequences, but they are supposed to allow us all to have an equal say in their outcomes. The ongoing fight for fair electoral maps and unimpeded ballot access, and the relentless disenfranchisement of Black voters, is a national shame and due to a Supreme Court majority that continues to see the country through the dirty lens of their own viewpoints — rather than through the lens of the purpose of our laws and the experiences of our people.

“South Carolina was the first state to secede from the United States. Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor was the first recognized military battle at the advent of the Civil War. South Carolina has, quite simply, never ceased to be a battleground for voting rights.

“The Court’s decision today opens the door even wider for politicians to abuse their power to target and harm voters of color by enacting maps that diminish their ability to make change through the ballot. This ruling upholds the long legacy of white supremacy in South Carolina that Black voters continue to fight against.

“We who believe in freedom are not resting. The fight for the future of our democracy is clearer than ever. The opinion today adds fuel to a fire that is growing in this country to take it back from those who seek to go back to the past rather than embrace a diverse future. We at The Leadership Conference, the coalition that fought for and won the Voting Rights Act, have fought for its protection for all Americans. We will continue to push Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, and the Native American Voting Rights Act to ensure our democracy includes and works for all of us.”

The Leadership Conference joined an amicus brief in Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, which is available here.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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