February 28, 2025 Story by: Publisher
FAYETTE COUNTY, Tenn. — The Legal Defense Fund (LDF) and Donati Law, PLLC filed a lawsuit Thursday, on behalf of five Black voters and the Fayette-Somerville Branch of the NAACP, alleging that Fayette County’s electoral map is racially discriminatory.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, challenges the county commission map adopted during the 2021 redistricting process, asserting that it violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Plaintiffs argue the map was drawn to dilute Black voting power and deny Black residents an equal opportunity to elect representatives of their choice.
Despite Black voters making up more than a quarter of Fayette County’s population, the 19-member county commission is entirely white. The lawsuit contends that the commission disregarded its own guidelines meant to protect minority voting power and ignored legal warnings that failing to create a district with a Black majority could expose the county to legal challenges. The commission also rejected alternative proposals that would have mitigated the alleged racial disparities.
“The county commission map denies Black Fayette County residents access to political representation,” said Elton Holmes, president of the Fayette-Somerville Branch of the NAACP. “It’s unacceptable in 2025 that the commission is an all-white body given the demographics, voting patterns, and barriers Black voters face.”
Christine Woods, a plaintiff in the case, said the lack of Black representation has led to the neglect of key issues affecting the community.
“Our priorities have long been ignored, including concerns regarding public schools, economic development, and access to resources like the Bernard Community Center,” Woods said. “For too long, Black Fayette County residents have been denied representation. I am hopeful this lawsuit will strike down this discriminatory map.”
The lawsuit highlights Fayette County’s history of racial discrimination in voting. The county was home to Tent City, also known as Freedom Village, where Black sharecroppers evicted for registering to vote lived in military surplus tents beginning in 1959.
“Fayette County lawmakers have evaded their statutory and constitutional duties by enacting a map designed to dilute Black voting power,” said John Cusick, assistant counsel at the LDF. “The promise of full citizenship and equal access to the political process remains unfulfilled for Black voters in Fayette County.”
Attorneys for the plaintiffs argue that the county commission must adopt a new map that ensures Black voters have a fair opportunity to elect representatives.
“The rights of Fayette County voters to have their county commission districts set in a legal, fair, and non-discriminatory manner were unquestionably violated,” said Don Donati, founding attorney of Donati Law, PLLC. “We are proud to stand with our co-counsel and clients to vindicate these important principles.”
NAACP General Counsel Janette McCarthy Wallace called the current map a “blatant attempt to dilute Black voting power” and vowed to challenge it through all available legal means.
“Black voters in Fayette County deserve an equal opportunity to elect leaders who reflect their communities and priorities,” Wallace said. “We will not stand by while this injustice persists.”
Fayette County officials have not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit.
Source: NAACPLDF
