WASHINGTON – A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that limits the Voting Rights Act and prohibits redrawing district lines to preserve Black and Latino representation will have far-reaching, negative implications for both communities, political analys
WASHINGTON – A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that limits the Voting Rights Act and prohibits redrawing district lines to preserve Black and Latino representation will have far-reaching, negative implications for both communities, political analysts warn.
Previously the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was used to maximize Black voter strength by having states pull Blacks together to increase their numbers in a single district and the likelihood of electing a Black candidate. The justices’ 5-4 decision removes that mandate.
Political scientists, like Dr. William Boone of Clark Atlanta University in Georgia, say the political landscape, from county commissions, to city councils, even to the U.S. Congress, may be in for long periods with no added Black representation.
After the Voting Rights Act was passed, the idea was that race was a real factor for voting representation, but the courts began to rule that race did not have to be a predominant factor. With this March 9 ruling, the court has moved away from race altogether, analysts said.
“This could mean a couple of things, for not only Blacks but Latinos too because they’re growing in numbers. Let’s say Black folk are concentrated in a district that has about 60-80 percent Black. You don’t necessarily need to go forward to draw lines and give them two representatives. You could just maintain one, if that, and go to the other districts and maintain them white because given the residential pattern in this country, they are still pretty much racially and ethnically segregated,” Dr. William Boone told The Final Call.
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Copyright 2009 Special to the NNPA from the Final Call. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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