Black Alabama Voters Win Fair Congressional Representation for Remainder of the Decade
BIRMINGHAM, AL 鈥 A federal court has ruled after a full trial that Alabama鈥檚 2023 congressional map not only violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act but was enacted by the Alabama Legislature with racially discriminatory intent. This ruling establishes that the Alabama congressional map must include two districts where Black voters have the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice (like the map ordered by the court in October 2023) for the remainder of the decade. The court-ordered map used in the 2024 elections resulted in Alabama electing two Black representatives to Congress for the first time in history.
The court鈥檚 decision follows a series of legal challenges where a group of voters argued that Alabama鈥檚 congressional districts violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting Black voting power. The Supreme Court agreed in a 2023 ruling that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on that claim, and in its decision in Allen v. Milligan, mandated the creation of a second opportunity district that resulted in the current map. Despite these previous decisions, Alabama insisted on a full trial of the case, and once again the Court ruled against its congressional map as unfairly harming Black voters. This time, however, also ruled that Alabama had intentionally discriminated against its Black citizens in enacting the map.
The case was originally brought in November 2021 on behalf of Evan Milligan, Khadidah Stone, Letetia Jackson, Shalela Dowdy, Greater Birmingham Ministries, and the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP who are represented by the 吃瓜直播, 吃瓜直播 of Alabama, Legal Defense Fund, Hogan Lovells LLP, and Wiggins, Childs, Pantazis, Fisher & Goldfarb.
鈥淭his win is a testament to the dedication and persistence of many generations of Black Alabamians who pursued political equality at great cost. We stand on the shoulders of our predecessors. We know that all Alabamians will benefit from today鈥檚 victory just as we have benefited from the work of others. We hope our win will benefit Black voters in the rest of the country as well. This is a triumph for voting rights, an independent judiciary, and offers us hope for the future of our democracy,鈥 a joint comment from plaintiffs of the case.
鈥淭he court has once again recognized that in order to comply with the Voting Rights Act,鈥 said Davin Rosborough, deputy director of the 吃瓜直播鈥檚 Voting Rights Project, "it is essential that Alabama鈥檚 congressional map have two opportunity districts for Black voters.鈥
鈥淭oday鈥檚 decision is a testament to the persistence and resilience of Black voters in Alabama, including our clients,鈥 said Deuel Ross, deputy director of litigation at the Legal Defense Fund. 鈥淎labama鈥檚 unprecedented defiance of the Supreme Court and the lower court orders harkens back to the darkest days of American history. The court鈥檚 ruling reaffirms the rule of law and the importance of protecting the fundamental right to vote of Black Alabamians in the Black belt and all Americans.鈥
"This ruling is not just a legal win 鈥 it鈥檚 an overdue acknowledgment of Alabama lawmakers' persistent attempts to shut out Black voters from the electoral process,鈥 said Laurel Hattix, senior attorney at the 吃瓜直播 of Alabama. 鈥淔or decades, Black Alabamians have organized and fought for not just their voting rights, but the voting rights of all Americans. Today, the courts have affirmed what Black voters have long known: fair representation is not optional 鈥 it鈥檚 a right.鈥
Read the court's ruling here: https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2025/05/490-FOF-COL-Injunction.pdf
Court Case: Allen v. Milligan
Affiliate: Alabama