Supreme Court Greenlights South Carolina's Gerrymandered Maps, Undermining Black Voters' Voices

Today, in a controversial 6-3 decision, the right-wing majority of the U.S. Supreme Court allowed South Carolina Republicans to proceed with a gerrymandered map that weakens the influence of Black voters in the halls of Congress.

This ruling reverses a lower court decision that determined the electoral maps were racially gerrymandered and ordered the state legislature to redraw its congressional districts.

Stand Up America Senior Associate for Policy and Political Affairs Tishan Weerasooriya issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Alexander v. South Carolina NAACP:

“Today, in yet another attack on our democracy, the Supreme Court's right-wing majority delivered a blow to the rights of Black voters in South Carolina. Their ruling undermines the ability of Black voters to elect representatives who truly represent their interests and sets a dangerous precedent for racial gerrymandering nationwide.

“Alexander v. South Carolina NAACP is a stark reminder of how vulnerable federal voting protections are for communities of color in the face of this Supreme Court. It has become increasingly clear, Congress must pass voting rights legislation and comprehensive Supreme Court reforms to safeguard the democratic principles upon which our nation was founded.”

Stand Up America’s nearly two million members have mobilized in support of Supreme Court reform––including court expansion, term limits, and a binding code of ethics––driving 800,000 constituent emails and calls to legislators and submitting over 30,000 letters to the editors of their local newspapers.