U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Montgomery) has again accused state legislators of working to undermine black voters in Alabama's second congressional district through restricting racially based gerrymandering in the Yellowhammer State.
The congressman made the remarks while speaking at Montgomery's Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday.
"I think you guys probably remember a couple of years ago when this current district got drawn. It was the result of some federal judges, three of them. Two of them were actually appointed by our current president, who said that Alabama had discriminated against black people in how they drew their congressional districts, and they ordered them to draw a new district," Figures told the congregation.
"The district that they drew is the district that we currently represent," he continued. "Well, some people didn't stop fighting against that, and recently they redrew the district in a way where they are attempting to take this district not from me, but from us."
While District 2's black population has dropped, Figures remains confident that he will retain the congressional seat.
"What they have done is they have taken a district that is currently about 47% African American, and they've made it a district that's 40% African American. I don't know about you, but if you give me a 40% black district, I like my chances," he stated.
In May, Figures attacked conservative members of the U.S. Supreme Court for their major role in the redistricting process.
"This is an incredibly unfortunate decision by the Supreme Court that not only continues their trend of breaking from the norms and precedents set by the Court, but also sets the stage for Alabama to go back to the 1950s and 60s in terms of Black political representation in the state," Figures argued.
Alabama was sued following the 2020 redistricting cycle, and a federal court held that the State violated Section 2 by failing to include an additional majority-black congressional district. Last year, the court ordered Alabama to use a court-drawn map that included the additional district.
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