Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America

by Stacey Abrams

Partisan gerrymandering was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2019, which will allow politicians to pick their voters rather than protecting the right of citizens to pick their leaders. And then there is racial gerrymandering—the drawing of districts to “pack” communities of color together or “crack” them into small groups too insignificant to affect elections, as redistricting experts describe the two practices. Right now, the only protection is in Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which Republicans are also challenging. But until the Supreme Court strips away this last protection, race cannot be used to diminish the voting power of minority communities. However, only an accurate census count can provide the necessary evidence to challenge a racially discriminatory map in court. Hofeller and his ilk gave Republicans the tools to rig the maps in 2010, and, as a result, the composition of the courts, the legislature, and every level of government has been affected. What they know, and we must guard against, is an undercount of people of color.