How the Supreme Court gutted Black voting power

This episode of Code Switch examines the Supreme Court's latest blow to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, particularly through its ruling in Louisiana v. Calais, which dramatically raises the bar for proving racial discrimination in redistricting. The court, under Chief Justice John Roberts and a conservative majority, has reinterpreted Section 2 of the VRA to require proof of intentional racial discrimination—rather than showing discriminatory effects—making it far harder to challenge voting maps that dilute Black voting power. This decision threatens to erase dozens of majority-Black congressional districts, especially in the South, and could lead to the largest decline in Black representation in Congress since Reconstruction. The episode explores how the ruling fits into a broader pattern of judicial erosion of civil rights protections, including the court’s prior weakening of preclearance and its dismissal of partisan gerrymandering claims—despite the fact that Black voters are overwhelmingly Democratic. Legal experts and advocates warn that even if Congress passes a new, stronger Voting Rights Act, a conservative Supreme Court may still strike it down. The episode ends with a call to action: restoring the VRA may require not just political will but a fundamental shift in how Americans understand race and equity in democracy.