A coalition of voting rights organizations is suing the State of Mississippi in federal court over its state legislative district maps, claiming they “illegally dilute the voting strength of Black Mississippians” when electing representatives for the Mississippi House and Senate.
“This is the latest chapter in the ongoing struggle of Black people in Mississippi for fair representation and for the right to cast a meaningful ballot on Election Day,” Mississippi Center For Justice CEO Vangela M. Wade said in a Dec. 20 statement. “We are pleased to be working with our partners as we continue moving forward in this quest.”
The lawsuit, Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP v. State Board of Election Commissioners, alleges that the 2022 district maps “improperly use voters’ race to achieve partisan goals and protect incumbent politicians.” The complaint, filed in the Southern District of Mississippi on Dec. 20, charges that the maps violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the U.S. Constitution.
“Mississippi has the largest Black population percentage of any state in the nation. Black Mississippians comprise about 38% of the State’s residents (based on the Census Bureau’s ‘Any Part Black’ category) and Mississippi’s Black population continues to grow,” the lawsuit says.
“Yet, the new state legislative districting maps do not reflect that reality or the reality of Mississippi’s changing demographics and growing Black population. The 2022 maps do not adequately reflect the relative growth and significant size of Mississippi’s Black population. Rather, the 2022 maps water down the political power of Black Mississippians in violation of federal law.”
Despite being a 38% Black state, the Mississippi Senate has just 12 Black members, who represent 23% of the 52-member body. In the Mississippi House, 38 members are Black, representing 31% of the 122-member body. Just three senators and eight House members are Black women. None belong to the Republican Party, which has held most of the power in both chambers since 2012.
The groups involved in the lawsuit include the national American Civil Liberties Union; ACLU of Mississippi; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Mississippi Center for Justice;