MLBC Chairman Responds to Supreme Court's Reversal of Legislative Districts

Statement from MLBC Chairman Rep. Kabir Karriem:

Monday's action by the Supreme Court of the United States should trouble everyone who cares about fair representation in Mississippi.

A lower federal court previously found that Mississippi’s state House and Senate maps diluted Black voting strength. Following that ruling, new districts were established and special elections were held. Now, however, the case is being sent back to the lower court under rules that may make it harder to protect Black voting power.

We fought for fairer maps and won relief. Black Mississippians should not have to fight the same battles repeatedly while the rules shift around us. This is not simply a technicality. These maps determine our representation in the Mississippi House and Senate, affecting decisions on schools, hospitals, infrastructure, and public safety. Maps decide power, and they dictate which communities have a voice.

The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus will continue to demand that decisions regarding our political maps happen in the open. If lawmakers are studying these maps, they must do so publicly. We demand transparency with data and plans, and we insist that Black communities be heard before lines are drawn.

Black voting power remains on the line, and we will not be quiet about it.