Why this fight matters
Tennessee's 9th Congressional District is anchored in Memphis and has been one of the South's strongest Black-majority districts for decades. The new map being pushed in Nashville would split Memphis across three districts — a textbook "cracking" tactic that dilutes Black voting power and turns one safe Democratic seat into three Republican-leaning ones.
The Supreme Court & the Voting Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed racial discrimination in voting and required certain states with histories of discrimination to get federal "preclearance" before changing voting laws or maps. In Shelby County v. Holder (2013) the Supreme Court gutted the preclearance formula, freeing states like Tennessee to redraw districts without federal review.
More recent rulings have continued to weaken what remains of Section 2 of the VRA — the provision used to challenge maps that dilute minority voting strength in court after they are enacted. With each ruling the burden shifts further onto voters and advocates to prove discriminatory intent or effect, often after years of litigation and several elections under an unfair map.
What "cracking" District 9 looks like
"Cracking" is when mapmakers slice a community of interest into multiple districts so its voters never make up a majority anywhere. Memphis — a majority-Black city of roughly 630,000 — has historically been kept whole inside the 9th District, represented by Rep. Steve Cohen.
Under the proposed map, Memphis is split into three pieces, each attached to large rural and suburban areas that vote heavily Republican. The result: Memphis voters lose their unified voice in Washington, and a competitive Democratic seat disappears overnight.
Learn more
- ACLU of Tennessee — local litigation and organizing.
- Brennan Center for Justice — Redistricting
- NAACP Legal Defense Fund — Voting Rights Act
- Find your Tennessee state legislator