Consider This from NPR

The Supreme Court Case That Will Decide if Voting Rights Should Be Race-Blind


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Last week, the Supreme Court heard opening arguments in Merrill v. Mulligan, a case that could gut the Voting Rights Act of 1965 for the third time this decade.

At the center of the debate is Alabama's new congressional maps. Black voters make up the majority of only one out of seven districts. More than a quarter of the state's population is Black.

A three-judge federal panel ruled that Alabama should create a second congressional district. The state appealed, arguing that congressional maps shouldn't take race into consideration, and the case is now in front of the Supreme Court.

Eric Holder was the U.S. attorney general during the first case that weakened the Voting Rights Act: Shelby County v. Holder. He is now in the middle of this latest fight as the chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which supports the plaintiff in the Alabama case. He shares with us the potential impact of this case and where the fight for voting rights goes if the Voting Rights Act receives yet another body blow.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at [email protected].

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