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Louisiana Is a Deeply Racist State
This is nothing new
“The dilution of Black voting power in Louisiana has long kept Black Louisianians from having representatives of their choice…We are disappointed to learn this harmful pattern has been upheld at this juncture of the lawsuit, but we are undeterred in our fight for fair elections for Black Louisianians.”
- Nora Ahmed, Esq. (Louisiana ACLU Legal Director)
In Louisiana this past week, white voters were successful in their lawsuit alleging that the Republican controlled legislature drew voting district maps that discriminated against them under the Voting Rights Act. Originally, African American voters had brought a lawsuit because the same legislature passed a bill totally gerrymandering the state and diluting the impact of black voters. There was only one congressional district in the state where African Americans made up a majority of the voters. So, black voters sued and were successful. The legislature was ordered to redraw the map.
The GOP, angry they were successfully sued by the black voters, drew a map that made no sense at all in shape…