Voting equality is an essential pillar of racial justice, being hard-won and maintained. After the passing of the 15th Amendment in 1869, which banned race-based voter discrimination, African Americans were still kept from participating in elections. Methods of voter suppression, such as requiring certain lineage or reading capabilities, barred many minorities from their right to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed to protect the rights of all citizens to cast a ballot, but recent Supreme Court decisions threaten this security. In this tumultuous time, the government’s disregard for American voices endangers minorities’ rights.
A SCOTUS hearing on Oct. 15 discussed racial gerrymandering in Louisiana that started in 2020. The state created a congressional voting map that featured only one district out of six with a Black majority, failing to properly represent Louisiana’s Black population, which makes up one-third of the state. The map was found to go against the Voting Rights Act and was preemptively banned from being reused. The state redrew the congressional district maps, outlining two majority Black districts that more accurately reflect Louisiana’s minority population.
White politicians then challenged the new map, arguing that the consideration of race was still in violation of the Voting Rights Act. SCOTUS’ recent meeting debated the merit of the new map. Discussions led to a foul interest among Republican justices in undermining Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which bans all congressional maps that diminish the impact of minority votes.
SCOTUS already boasts a 6-3 Republican majority in its seats. These justices often rule against LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant protection and reproductive rights. This is exemplified through overrulings such as Roe v. Wade, on top of ruling against racial equality. By unashamedly supporting white-benefitting racial gerrymandering with the government’s impending failure to preserve the Voting Rights Act, the SCOTUS majority hands the power to white voters who lean right — creating a cyclical relationship in which racism continues to thrive, looming over minorities.
In this case, the U.S. faces its own discriminatory past, as the justices seek to gut an important provision of the Voting Rights Act. If the court rules to overturn Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, racial minorities may be forced to travel back in time to when white ballots presided over all. If the justices do not decide to defend the act that represents what the nation stands for — liberty, equality and the voices of all — it fails its duty to stand for and protect Americans’ constitutional rights.
