Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of NAACP, an appeal of the federal court’s unanimous decision.
A federal court had already struck down South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, citing it as a clear instance of racial gerrymandering that prioritized race in redistricting decisions to the detriment of Black South Carolinians.
But what exactly is racial gerrymandering? According to Supreme Court precedent, lawmakers should not primarily consider race when drawing political boundaries unless necessary to comply with the Voting Rights Act, ensuring Black and other minority voters can effectively elect representatives of their choice.
