Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus urges U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the Voting Rights Act

For Immediate Release: Sept. 3, 2025

Media contact: Jackie Jena, jackie@publicrightsproject.org

OAKLAND, CA — Public Rights Project joined the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus to file an amicus brief defending Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. This provision bans voting laws and practices that discriminate based on race. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision will shape the future of political representation for Black voters in Louisiana.

Louisiana’s 2024 congressional map is at the center of the case, Louisiana v. Callais. The map includes the addition of a second Black-majority district after a federal district court found that the prior map violated the Voting Rights Act. This change gives Black voters a fairer chance at representation. The amicus brief defends the new map, arguing that it is not only legal but essential to preventing racial discrimination.

“Louisiana’s 2024 congressional map solves years of countless efforts to dilute the power of the Black vote,” said Jon Miller, chief program officer at Public Rights Project. “Given the disturbing experiences faced by Black political candidates and legislators, we fully expect more state governments to try to silence Black voices. The Supreme Court’s decision will either open the door to fair representation or slam it shut.”

The brief includes powerful first-hand accounts from caucus members who describe threats they’ve faced while running for office — from racist harassment by constituents to death threats during their campaigns. These stories illustrate the real-world consequences of systemic disenfranchisement.

Meanwhile Black voters also face extraordinary challenges. For example, in several Louisiana districts with large Black populations, white elected officials routinely ignore community needs. Residents often struggle to access basic public services such as road maintenance, clean water and functional sewage systems.

Public Rights Project and the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus are urging the court to uphold Section 2 and protect the democratic rights of Black voters in Louisiana and beyond.

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Public Rights Project
As a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, Public Rights Project helps local government officials fight for civil rights. We do this by building their capacity to protect and advance civil rights, convening and connecting them on issues of civil rights, and providing legal representation to governments to help them win in court on behalf of their residents. Since our founding, we’ve built a network of over 1,300 partners, including elected officials and 227 government offices across all 50 states, and helped recover over $46 million in relief for marginalized people. www.publicrightsproject.org