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The U.S. Supreme Court declares that states may be violating white voters’ rights by creating congressional districts that appear to be based only on race.
1993 (Jun 28)
The U.S. Supreme Court declared that states may be violating white voters' rights by creating congressional districts that appear to be based only on race. The ruling—which many legal experts called one of the most significant in a decade, casted doubt on key parts of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. This landmark civil rights law made it possible for Blacks to gain more seats in the U.S. Congress as well as in state legislatures. It protected minority voters against discrimination and underrepresentation at the hands of whites who divided up voting districts in such a way that Blacks never would be in the majority, a process known as "gerrymandering." The new Supreme Court decision also cleared the way for white voters to sue states that go to extremes to create voting districts where Black and/or Hispanic voters end up in the majority.
References:
- • Hornsby, Alton. Chronology of African-American History: Significant Events and People from 1619 to the Present. Detroit: Gale Research, 1995.