#NNPA BlackPress

OP-ED: By Disappearing Districts: How Racial Gerrymandering is Hollowing Out the Black Electorate

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — American democracy is entering a dangerous stage of decline. While coverage focuses largely on the most recognizable signs of democratic backsliding, such as attacks on free speech and the use of state force against peaceful protesters, a quieter crisis is reshaping the foundation of representation itself.

Published

8 months ago

November 18, 2025

Oakland Post

By: Jaidyn McKinnie, Joint Center Research Intern and UCLA Student

American democracy is entering a dangerous stage of decline. While coverage focuses largely on the most recognizable signs of democratic backsliding, such as attacks on free speech and the use of state force against peaceful protesters, a quieter crisis is reshaping the foundation of representation itself.

The second Trump administration is advancing a national policy infrastructure aimed at reshaping the democratic system from within, not by suppressing votes directly, but by manipulating the structures that determine who gets represented at all. Across the country, redistricting battles are being used to minimize the influence of Black voters and weaken the power and electability of Black legislators who represent them. These maps fracture diverse districts, erase majority-Black constituencies, and recast racial gerrymandering as a partisan strategy.

Gerrymandering is the process of drawing legislative maps to favor one group over another. Partisan gerrymandering exists in both parties, but the distinction between partisan and racial gerrymandering is crucial. The latter targets voters based on race, undermining equal protection and silencing political voices that have historically been excluded. Today, partisan gerrymandering often serves as a facade for racial redistricting, allowing maps that weaken Black and brown representation while appearing procedurally neutral.

The result is a democracy that technically counts every vote, but ensures that some count for less.

These efforts to reshape representation operate through coordinated pressure on state and federal institutions. Republican-controlled legislatures in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Florida have advanced or are seeking to advance maps that fracture diverse districts and erase Black-performing seats to manufacture partisan strongholds.

In Texas, the 2021 maps, already among the most gerrymandered in the nation, were challenged by the Department of Justice and civil rights groups for intentionally weakening minority voting power, marginalizing the very communities largely responsible for Texas’s growth. The latest maps, under Trump’s order, have only deepened the imbalance, entrenching partisan and racial control.

This September, Governor Kehoe of Missouri approved new maps that work to unseat Representative Emanuel Cleaver, one of the state’s two Black congressmembers. His district, once a Black stronghold centered in Kansas City, is being divided among three predominantly white districts, reducing the concentration of Black voters and weakening their collective influence. Similar redistricting patterns in Florida and Texas, where the districts of Representatives Al Lawson, Marc Veasey, and Al Green were dismantled, follow the same logic.

These efforts reveal a shift from engaging voters to reshaping the systems that define their representation.

Now, all eyes are on California, where the passage of Proposition 50 has become the first major test of how far states can go in countering gerrymandered maps. The measure introduces new electoral mechanisms for redrawing maps and is expected to offer an example of how other states approach redistricting and opposition efforts ahead of the Midterms. While Black-centered organizations such as the NAACP have invested heavily in the measure, its potential impact on Black voting power remains uncertain, though analysts suggest it may strengthen Latino representation. Still, its outcome will shape national discourse on representation and determine whether state-level reforms can meaningfully alter the balance of power.

While some states experiment with expanding representation, the federal landscape is moving in the opposite direction by dismantling DEI programs, eliminating race-conscious hiring, and purging staff in agencies that oversee civil rights enforcement. These measures reflect a broader effort to weaken the institutions that sustain equitable representation and to undermine the legitimacy of a multiracial democracy.

Despite this, the Congressional Black Caucus is the largest it has ever been, reflecting decades of organizing and civic engagement that expanded voting access. But this progress is increasingly fragile. Gerrymandered maps that fracture Black communities and eliminate majority-Black districts weaken not only the ability of Black legislators to hold their seats but also the capacity of Black voters to shape outcomes. When predominantly Black constituencies are divided across multiple districts, disguised as routine political realignment, it functions as a racialized control that suppresses minority ballot strength.

Voting power determines not just who wins elections, but whose communities receive investment, whose schools are funded, and whose voices are heard in policy debates that shape everyday life. When Black voters are packed into a few districts or split among many, their concerted voting strength is diluted, muting the political voice that has driven social and economic advancement for generations.

The threat facing the United States is not only that democracy could fail, but that it could survive in form while dying in function. Ongoing efforts to manipulate representation risk creating a government that looks democratic but operates as a controlled system of exclusion. To protect multiracial democracy, the nation must confront not only the authoritarianism of power, but the quiet redrawing of the lines that decide who holds it.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

D.C. Chamber of Commerce Honors ‘Spirit and Hustle’ at 2025 Awards Gala

Don't Miss

Epstein Files Battle Explodes as Redactions Shield Trump and Other Powerful Figures

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park

ATLANTA VOICE — A mural depicting late journalist Jovita Moore, painted on the exterior wall of a building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee in Grant Park, was painted over in April. Moore passed away in 2021 after decades of working in Atlanta television news. Bellwood Coffee owners stated in May they were unaware of Moore’s identity or significance to the community before painting over the mural.
The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

At the corner of Boulevard, SE. and Rosalia St., SE., directly across the street from an abandoned home and a Methodist Church, is Bellwood Coffee. One of hundreds of coffee shops in Atlanta, this place of business would not be worth a solitary discussion if not for the way its exterior walls are currently painted. There was once a mural depicting the late Jovita Moore, a beloved journalist who worked in Atlanta for decades. Moore, who passed away in 2021, mentored many of the people you see on television newscasts today. Though her legacy will never be forgotten, it was the mural of her image that was erased.

In April, members of the Grant Park community voiced their disgust at the mural, which graced a side wall of the building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee’s Grant Park location, before it was painted over. In its place are the words “Bellwood Coffee; Cocktails, Biscuits, Dry Goods, Air Conditioning. *Heat Too”. In May, the business owners responded to the community pushback on social media by acknowledging they did not know who Moore was before painting over her image. And later admitted that they did not attempt to find out what she meant to the community.

On May 21, the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account had a post about being “in close contact with Jovita’s family and are actively working on next steps in this process.” Two months later, the mural has not been replaced, repainted, or repositioned on the property. Nothing has been done. Black history is often erased, most recently by the current Presidential administration, but oftentimes on a smaller, quieter scale. The mural was originally painted by muralist Tommy Bronx, who had been in contact with the business owners about repainting it. As of July 6, Tommy Bronx had responded to a direct message via his Instagram account from The Atlanta Voice about any updates on his plans to repaint the mural.

“We’re currently working on it. You should see some movement in the weeks to come,” he wrote in a response.

On Monday, July 6, the business had several patrons inside and was running smoothly with three employees manning the counter. The Atlanta Voice dropped by Bellwood Coffee to get a look at the exterior wall where the mural once stood as a memorial to a journalist and mother who lost her life to brain cancer at the young age of 54. Moore’s image added some color to the block. The grey wall in its place does not.

A direct message was sent to the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account, and there hasn’t been a response as of 7 p.m. on Monday.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Voice.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator

ATLANTA DAILY WORLD — A New York man faces felony hate crime charges for allegedly posting a threat against New York State Senator Lea Webb. James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a social media news post about a Juneteenth celebration.
The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

A New York man is facing felony hate crime charges after allegedly posting that he’d be “proud to hang” New York State Senator Lea Webb from a tree in response to a news story about a Juneteenth celebration.

James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested June 23 by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a WBNG 12 News Facebook post. “I’d be proud to hang her from a tree,” Crosby wrote, according to WBNG.

Crosby was charged with making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, a class C felony, per the New York State Police. He is currently being held at Broome County Jail.

During the subsequent investigation, state police found Crosby was in illegal possession of firearms despite being prohibited from owning them due to a prior felony conviction. Investigators recovered a rifle, a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, and a firearm suppressor — all prohibited under New York state law, per the NYSP.

Crosby was charged with four additional counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, all class D felonies.

Webb, who represents New York’s 52nd Senate District, had been a featured speaker at a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony at Binghamton City Hall, where the celebration included prayers and the singing of the Black national anthem.

Police said Crosby’s comment was posted in response to a WBNG news story covering the event.

The day before his arrest, Crosby posted a Facebook apology claiming the comment “was not intended to be racial in any way” and was made in reference to what he described as a “criminal,” citing criticism of Webb over her use of nonprofit legal aid in a foreclosure case — a matter state watchdogs said created an appearance of a conflict of interest, per the Ithaca Voice. He was arrested the following day.

Webb issued a public statement June 25 condemning the threat.

“It was extremely disappointing and hurtful to see the now-deleted threat and attacks on my life in response to a story about Juneteenth, a national holiday that recognizes the ending of slavery in America,” she said. “Feedback and thoughts on policy are one thing, but to make a public call for lethal violence is absolutely unacceptable and dangerous. We must recognize our shared humanity and reject violence in all forms.”

She thanked Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and law enforcement for their “swift response.”

Following Crosby’s comments, social media users called for a boycott of his contracting business, Crosby Home Improvements.

The Binghamton City Democratic Committee also called for an investigation into the incident before his arrest.

The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HEREto tune in live.

The post ‘Proud to hang her from a tree’: Man arrested for threatening Black Senator appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Daily World.

The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations

NEW YORK CARIB NEWS — Outgoing CARICOM Chairman Terrance Drew called on regional leaders to build a stronger and more effective Caribbean Community that benefits future generations. Speaking at the 51st Regular Meeting, Drew urged modernization of governance structures and improved implementation of Community decisions to make CARICOM safer and more prosperous.
The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

Speaking Sunday at the opening of the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Saint Lucia, Dr. Terrance Drew said the region must modernize its governance structures, improve the implementation of Community decisions, and ensure CARICOM becomes safer, more prosperous, and more relevant to the lives of its citizens.

The meeting, being held under the theme “CARICOM: From Resilience to Renewal in a Changing World,” coincides with the Community’s 53rd anniversary. During the ceremony, Dr. Drew formally handed over the rotating CARICOM chairmanship to Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre.

Reflecting on his six-month tenure as chairman, Drew praised fellow regional leaders for maintaining their commitment to democracy, good governance, unity, and the rule of law despite mounting global economic and geopolitical challenges.

“Throughout these challenges, CARICOM chose engagement over isolation. Together, we reaffirmed our commitment to a fair and rules-based international trading system and ensured that the interests of small developing states continued to be heard.”
Trending
2021 Mercedes Benz AMG GT Roadster/Convertible and POV Test Drive

He highlighted progress made in strengthening the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, including deeper trade cooperation, expanded labour mobility, and efforts to lay the foundation for long-term economic growth. Drew also noted the Community’s growing partnerships beyond the Caribbean, particularly with the African Union, while stressing that every international partnership should advance the interests of all parties involved.

The outgoing chairman also expressed appreciation to Dr. Carla Barnett and the CARICOM Secretariat for their professionalism and unwavering support during his tenure.

“Whenever I called, you answered. Whenever support was required, you and your team responded with diligence, competence, and excellence.”

Dr. Drew urged the Secretariat to continue preserving its impartiality while faithfully implementing decisions made by Heads of Government, saying that balance has helped strengthen the regional integration movement.

The conference continues in Saint Lucia with regional leaders expected to deliberate on key issues including regional security, climate resilience, trade, economic integration, food security, Haiti, reparations, and strengthening the CSME.

Based on reporting by New York Carib News.

The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.