Redrawing Representation: What Louisiana v. Callais Means For The Future of Fair Maps
Black Louisiana voters and civil rights advocates rally in March at the Supreme Court, which is hearing a case over the state’s congressional map. | Getty Images for Legal Defense Fund
On October 15, Louisiana stands before the SCOTUS for a reargument of Louisiana v. Callais. We were here, in March 2025, but this time the stakes are higher than ever. The decision will have impacts that extend beyond Louisiana.
Upon first argument Louisiana chose to defend the constitutionality of its redrawn map, but on reargument, it has decided to take the broad position in a supplemental brief filed on August 27, 2025, that all “race-based redistricting is unconstitutional,” according to the Brennan Center For Justice. This shift points towards a broader judicial trend: Justice Clarence Thomas’s stance that race should not be used in redistricting—a position that challenges the very existence of the Voting Rights Act, especially Section 2.
In a recent article, the Brennan Center For Justice stated,“In conjunction with the reargument, the Court asked the parties to brief a different question: Whether creation of a majority-minority district as a remedy for vote dilution found by a court under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act violates either the 14th or 15th Amendments.”
Why does this matter? As the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice explains, “Section 2 of the [Voting Rights Act] VRA is at stake. It was designed to stop vote dilution and ensure communities of color can elect representatives of their choice. Weakening it would strip away one of the last remaining protections of the VRA.”
According to the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), “Inclusive representation is foundational to a healthy democracy. It ensures that all communities, regardless of race, have a seat at the table for policy decision-making.”
The silencing of Black political voices is something we’ve seen time and time again— In a past article the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center explained how, “Black people in America have resisted oppression in systemic, institutional, interpersonal and intrapersonal forms for centuries.”
This fight is about more than lines on a map— it is about whether Black communities have the right to be seen, heard, and equally represented.
Alabama could be directly impacted following the outcome of the October 15 re-hearing. In a past article, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) stated, “On June 8, 2023…In a historic win for voting rights, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Allen v. Milligan in favor of Black voters, affirming the district court’s order striking down Alabama’s 2021-enacted congressional map for violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965 for diluting Black political power, and requiring that Alabama redraw its congressional map.”
Adding from a past article the Legal Defense Fund said, “Allen v. Milligan is the most important redistricting case to come before the Supreme Court in recent history. The court’s decision is a historic win in the fight for voting rights in the face of countless continued attacks on democracy.”
What is decided in Louisiana v. Callais could undo the historic win made in Allen v. Milligan. If the Supreme Court rules that race is no longer considered a contributing factor in redistricting, it could reverse the reasoning that aided the win for Black voters in Milligan.
A decision against Black voters in Louisiana does not stay in Louisiana; it holds the potential to gut Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act which will erase decades of hard-fought protections.
The time to act is now: Raise your voice, stay informed, and stand strong for the protections that ensure every vote is heard.
Listen to the oral re-arguments of Supreme Court case Louisiana v. Callais on October 15:
Gather with the community around you to listen and discuss. Here is a discussion guide to direct meaningful conversation.
Learn more about Louisiana v. Callais:
Legal Defense Fund (LDF):
https://www.naacpldf.org/case-issue/louisiana-v-callais-faq/
Learn more about the organizations on the frontlines for the fight for fair maps:
Power Coalition for Equity and Justice:
https://powercoalition.org/
Legal Defense Fund:
https://www.naacpldf.org/
We Draw The Lines Louisiana:
https://wedrawthelinesla.org/
Brennan Center For Justice:
https://www.brennancenter.org/