MEMPHIS, TN — The League of Women Voters of Tennessee joined the NAACP and other civil rights organizations and individuals in filing a federal lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s racially discriminatory congressional map, arguing the map unlawfully dilutes the voting strength of Black Tennesseans and undermines fair representation.
The lawsuit challenges Tennessee’s dismantling of the state’s only majority-Black congressional district in Memphis; a move plaintiffs argue fractures Black communities for partisan and racial advantage.
The lawsuit also alleges that the map was pushed through the legislative process in just 48 hours, with minimal transparency, little opportunity for meaningful public input, and despite repeated warnings that it would weaken Black political representation.
“Tennessee’s congressional map is a blatant example of racial and partisan gerrymandering that unlawfully dilutes the voting strength of Black Tennesseans and denies voters fair representation,” said Marcia Johnson, chief of activation and justice for the League of Women Voters. “By dismantling communities and manipulating district lines for political advantage, this map undermines the core promise of our democracy: that every voter’s voice carries equal weight. The League of Women Voters is proud to stand with the NAACP in challenging this unconstitutional map and defending the fundamental right of voters to participate in free and fair elections.”
“Tennessee voters deserve districts that reflect their communities and protect equal representation,” said Debby Gould, president of the League of Women Voters of Tennessee. “Instead, this map intentionally fractures communities and weakens the voices of black and brown voters in Memphis/Shelby County for partisan advantage. We believe it is essential that the public has confidence that their votes matter. The League of Women Voters of Tennessee is joining this challenge because democracy works best when maps are fair, transparent, and accountable to the people.”
"This lawsuit goes to the heart of our democracy," said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP. "Tennessee lawmakers made a deliberate choice to silence Black voters by dismantling a district that has long ensured representation for one of the state's largest Black populations. We are at the dawn of a new Jim Crow era. People fought and died for the representation that lawmakers across the South are so casually eroding. The NAACP will not stand by while elected officials manipulate district lines to take away our political power and silence our voices."
As a plaintiff in the case, the League of Women Voters is fighting to protect voters from racially discriminatory maps that dilute political representation and weaken democracy for Tennessee communities.
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