This one could put Georgia on the map
Following the 2020 election, Georgia was declared a “swing state,” and many consider it purple instead of red. The state could move even more in that direction, depending on the outcome of a trial beginning this week before U.S. District Judge Steve Jones. The case is related to districts drawn in Georgia, which have for years been controlled by Republican gerrymandering. If the plaintiffs prevail, news outlets in Georgia have reported that Judge Jones will likely order the redrawing of the congressional map in Georgia.
The plaintiffs in this case sued the state, alleging that districts were purposely redrawn to hurt Black voters. If they are successful, we may see the addition of seats that better level the playing field. Republicans obviously dispute the notion, pointing to the success of Lucy McBath, who won a district with a small Black population in 2018. Wiping out their own argument, however, Republican lawmakers redrew the district McBath won, causing her to move to another district to win reelection. The moral of this story is that Republicans aren’t as concerned about Black voters as they are about Democratic voters. McBath’s former district was purposely redrawn to embrace additional Republicans. Kareem Crayton, senior director for voting and representation at the Brennan Center for Justice, agrees that partisanship primarily drives Republicans, though he pointed out that there remains a significant portion of the state that has no access to power.
What the plaintiffs in this case ultimately want is another Black majority state congressional seat and three Black majority seats in the state senate. As the Associated Press reported, Georgia has added a half million new Black residents between 2010 and 2020, which represents almost half of the population growth in Georgia. We should be represented by people with whom we share interests as opposed to people who break the law to help losers like Donald Trump. Look, not all Blacks think alike, nor do we always vote the same; however, we are not adequately represented in Georgia, and that is the crux of this argument.
AP and other local media outlets believe that we will not only gain seats in our local house and senate, but that we may well get an additional seat in the U.S. House, which we desperately need to counteract “representatives” like Marjorie Taylor Greene. Districts should be drawn more contiguously where similar issues are concentrated. Let’s face it: people in metro Atlanta cannot possibly have the same concerns as people in Albany, GA, which is miles away and is more rural. Districts must be drawn such that they make sense, not so that Republicans can rule the entire state.
Judge Jones is holding a two-week, non-jury trial on this case. He has already ruled in favor of the plaintiffs on part of this case, and speculation is that the recent Supreme Court ruling striking down Alabama’s districts will have an impact on his ruling. Georgia is our state just as much as it is the Republicans, and we deserve and demand a seat at the table.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years