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‘We will not go back to Jim Crow’: thousand of Mississippians rally for voting rights
TL;DR
Thousands of Mississippians rallied for voting rights in response to a Supreme Court decision undermining the Voting Rights Act. The event highlighted concerns over the erosion of Black political power in southern states.
Key points
- Thousands rallied in Mississippi for voting rights
- Protest against Supreme Court's decision on Voting Rights Act
- Concerns over dilution of Black political power
- Coalition included Fair Fight Action and NAACP
- Southern states are redrawing congressional districts
Mentioned in this story
Fair Fight ActionNAACPMississippi VotesMississippi Poor People’s Campaign
Voting Rights ActLouisiana v Callais
Thousands of Mississippians, along with allies from other southern states, gathered at the state’s War Memorial Building auditorium on Wednesday in support of voting rights. It was the latest in a series of actions protesting the supreme court’s recent decision gutting the provision of the Voting Rights Act preventing racial discrimination, and held on a site integral to the state’s history of Black disenfranchisement.
Section 2 “stopped states, counties, cities, from passing redistricting maps that discriminate against Black voters and it led to the biggest growth of Black political power since Reconstruction”, said Amir Badat, the southern states director at the voting rights group Fair Fight Action.
“And now, the Roberts court has opened the door to the biggest destruction of Black political power since the end of Reconstruction.”
The rally was led by a coalition of organizations, including People’s Advocacy Institute, Mississippi Votes, Mississippi Poor People’s Campaign, One Voice, Fair Fight, Mississippi for a Just World and NAACP, among them. It followed the “All Roads Lead to the South” rally in Montgomery, Alabama, over the weekend.
Since the supreme court decision in Louisiana v Callais, southern states have scrambled to redraw their congressional districts and dilute Black political power in the process. Florida’s Republicans signed a new map shortly after the supreme court decision came down. Republicans in Tennessee eliminated the state’s one Black congressional district and Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina and Georgia are all moving in turn.
Mississippi, whose population is nearly 40% Black, was initially set to enter the redistricting battlefield, with Tate Reeves, the state’s governor, calling a special session to be held on 20 May. Reeves since reversed his decision, though he said he expects the state to redraw maps before elections in 2027.
In 1890, following Reconstruction, white supremacist Mississippi legislators met at the Old Capitol – next to the War Memorial, the site of the rally – and enacted the state’s constitution, which implemented the “Mississippi Plan” to disenfranchise Black voters.
The special session that Reeves called was also slated to be held at the Old Capitol, the site that effectively ushered in Jim Crow in .
Q&A
What was the purpose of the Mississippi rally for voting rights?
The rally aimed to protest the Supreme Court's decision that weakened protections against racial discrimination in voting.
How has the Supreme Court's decision affected Black political power in the South?
The decision has led to efforts in southern states to redraw congressional districts, which many believe will dilute Black political power.
Which organizations were involved in the Mississippi voting rights rally?
Organizations such as Fair Fight Action, NAACP, Mississippi Votes, and the Mississippi Poor People's Campaign were among the coalition leading the rally.
What recent actions have southern states taken regarding congressional redistricting?
Following the Supreme Court decision, states like Florida and Tennessee have moved to redraw congressional maps, often at the expense of Black representation.
