NAACP files emergency petition to block Tennessee's newly approved redistricting plan

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

05/07/26 10:55 PM ET


The NAACP on Thursday filed an emergency petition to block Tennessee’s attempt to remove the only majority Black congressional district in the state, which the organization argues violates the state constitution.

Filed in Davidson County Chancery Court, the emergency petition urged Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) and the state legislature to not enact the new congressional map. The Volunteer State’s redrawn Republican-friendly map carves up the state’s only majority-Black district and threatens the lone Democrat in the state’s nine-member delegation.

“It is a direct attack on our democracy and our Constitution to dismantle majority-Black districts. A democracy without Black representation is not a democracy,” NAACP general counsel Kristen Clarke said in a statement. “Black communities in Tennessee have been silenced and brutalized for centuries. This is where the KKK was born and where [Martin Luther King Jr.] was assassinated. Black residents were faced with racial violence and legal suppression every single day.”

NAACP President of the Tennessee Conference Gloria Sweet-Love called the new map “unlawful.” “There is a long history and contemporary pattern of unfair redistricting practices in rural West Tennessee that have harmed Black political representation,” Sweet-Love said in the statement. “We will stand up to make sure that Black voters retain their voting power.”

Read more: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5869060-naacp-challenges-tennessee-redistricting/

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Link to NAACP PRESS RELEASE - NAACP Sues Tennessee to Block Its Attempt to Eliminate Black Voting District

Link to SUIT (PDF) - https://www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/NAACP-Tennessee-lawsuit_watermark-2.pdf

[Lovie777]

1. Good..................

some hanky panky bullshit misinformation submitted to the US SC must be investigated................

although, the RW 6 already had their minds made up.

[Farmer-Rick]

2. I knew Gov Lee and Trump's MAGA lap dogs

We're going to push through another rigged voting plan. Especially after the dancing Supremes have OKed it. My district is a snake along the edge of the state, with holes in it here in there. My farm is in 2 different districts.

And now people in Tennessee are wondering why they have uranium plants in their back yards. A new cancer alley is being built in the once beautiful East TN Smokey mountains.

[Baitball Blogger]

3. What was the blue state or situation where the Supreme ruled they could not redistrict

because it was too close to an election? Can they refile their lawsuit under this new "ruling."

[BumRushDaShow]

4. I think there were references to voter purges "too close to an election"

H.R.2 - National Voter Registration Act of 1993

This was also dubbed the "Motor Voter Act", enacted under President Bill Clinton.

This is the section that the 45 administration and red states openly intend on violating (from pg. 8 of the law text) -

(snip)

(2XA) A State shall complete, not later than 90 days prior
to the date of a primary or general election for Federal office,
any program the purpose of which is to systematically remove
the names of ineligible voters from the official lists of eligible
voters.

(snip)

I think for redistricting - "too close" was implied for the Louisiana creation of a 2nd majority-minority seat (Callais case) as justification for not ruling on that last June (2025) and instead kicking the case to this current SCOTUS term for rehearing, where the arguments were heard this past fall and the ruling came down last week.

In the case of TN, their primary (for federal, etc) isn't until August 6 - https://sos.tn.gov/elections/calendarhttps://sos.tn.gov/elections/calendar

[Baitball Blogger]

5. I think there was another case.

But, thank you for providing the background for this case. The one I'm thinking of occurred in Dec. 2025.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Perhaps you are refereing to this-

Supreme Court allows Texas to use redistricting map challenged as racially discriminatory (Dec. 4, 2025)

where the SCOTUS said it didn't matter if it was "too close" (primary was in March 2026) or was a "racial gerrymander" per the lower courts, and overruled the lower courts. Because. Texas.

[Baitball Blogger]

8. Found it. It happened in Alabama.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1322&pid=114647

In a fast-tracked order, the Supreme Court let Louisiana move forward with a new congressional map. The move exposes a double standard: the same court that told Black voters in Alabama it was too late to fix an unconstitutional map is now moving fast for white plaintiffs in Louisiana, even as ballots are being cast. Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias and former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance break it down. - 05/05/2026.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. I do remember seeing the AL issue last summer

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143494234
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143509496

But can't find a SCOTUS intervention posted about that would halt it due to timing, although the new SCOTUS LA case would now moot this.

[Baitball Blogger]

12. Right.

It would also show that the Supreme Court does not follow its own precedent. Proving they are political hacks.

[Ray Bruns]

6. Hasn't the NAACP heard? Racism and fascism is all the craze now

[flashman13]

9. Afro-Americans make up 16.4% of the Tennessee population. By that simple fact they are entitled to

at a minimum of one House seat. Carving up Memphis into three different districts is racism pure and simple.

[Bayard]

11. Next on the chopping block: the 24th Amendment