04/29/2026

Popular Democracy Condemns the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais Decision

Washington, D.C. — Today, DaMareo Cooper, Executive Director for Popular Democracy, released the following statement reacting to the Louisiana v. Callais decision:

“The Supreme Court just handed anti-democratic politicians another weapon to dilute Black political power ahead of the 2026 midterms. By gutting protections in the Voting Rights Act, the Court has opened the door for states across the South to redraw maps, dismantle majority-Black districts, and silence Black voters in order to hold onto power.

We know this pattern. Every time Black communities build political power in this country, those threatened by that power try to change the rules, silence our voices, and rig the rules to hold onto control. When states manipulate district maps to weaken Black voting strength, they are attempting to shrink the political rights the 14th Amendment was meant to expand after the Civil War. This is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to dismantle the 14th Amendment and roll back the hard-fought gains won through generations of Black struggle and organizing.

Majority-Black districts are one of the ways the Voting Rights Act protects the promise of the 14th and 15th Amendments. Black voters must have a fair opportunity to elect representatives of their choice.

We will not accept a government where billionaires, extremists, and a captured Supreme Court decide whose voices count. Our communities have fought too hard for the right to vote, to belong, and to govern alongside everyone else. We will continue fighting for a truly multicultural democracy where all of us can participate freely and equally. The work ahead is to use all the rights we still have to exercise our power and make our voices heard.”

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