#NNPA BlackPress

Virginia Democrats Enter the War on Maps After GOP Moves to Kill Black Political Power

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — “Democrats are going to take back control of the United States House of Representatives. It’s the reason why we see Republicans in full-blown panic right now,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to reporters on Capitol Hill on Oct. 22.

Published

4 months ago

October 24, 2025

Oakland Post

By Lauren Burke

“Democrats are going to take back control of the United States House of Representatives. It’s the reason why we see Republicans in full-blown panic right now,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to reporters on Capitol Hill on Oct. 22. Democrats have been strategizing on redistricting strategy with leaders in Democratic states since Republicans in Texas. “We’ve never seen this level of extraordinary gerrymandering attempts take place across the country. Why do you think it’s happening? It’s happening because the Republican ship is sinking. It’s sinking right now because they failed to deliver anything for the American people. Just pay attention to what’s going to happen two weeks from now in Virginia,” Leader Jeffries asserted. With the likelihood that the U.S. Supreme Court will destroy Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, events are moving quickly, and now Democrats in Virginia are set to enter the war on maps and redistricting. In August, Republicans in Texas, led by Donald Trump, changed their maps to target congressional seats held by Black Democrats.

In mid-2025, Trump publicly urged Texas Republicans to focus on a rare mid-decade redistricting of congressional maps. “We have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats. We have a really good governor, and we have good people in Texas. And I won Texas,” Trump told CNBC’s Squawk Box on August 5. Democrats in Illinois, California, Maryland, Colorado, New York, Oregon, Washington, and Virginia have been in discussions on possible districting to counter Trump-led Republican moves to eliminate congressional seats. Trump’s directive to Republicans in Texas quickly turned into a decision by the Texas GOP to change the congressional maps in a way that would make it much harder for three Black members of Congress to win. They include the congressional seats now held by Reps. Al Green (D-TX-9), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30), and Marc Veasey (D-TX-33). On top of the Republican attempts to control the 2026 elections by eliminating the seats of Black members of Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court, controlled by Republican nominees, is set to destroy Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is one of the most powerful protections against racial discrimination in voting. Section 2 prohibits any voting practice or policy that results in the dilution of voting power based on race. Unlike other parts of the law, Section 2 applies nationwide and allows individuals and groups to challenge maps that decrease Black voting power and election rules in court. It has been crucial in ensuring fair representation for Black, Latino, and other minority voters—especially since the Supreme Court weakened Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in 2013. Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act was designed to prevent racial discrimination before it happened by requiring certain states and localities—mostly in the South with histories of voter suppression—to get federal approval, or “preclearance,” before changing any voting laws or practices. This safeguard ensured that new election rules, district maps, or voting procedures did not weaken minority voting power. But in 2013, the Supreme Court’s Shelby County v. Holder decision ended Section 5’s enforcement by striking down the formula for preclearance, which led to many Black communities becoming once again vulnerable to discriminatory voting practices.

In the 2013 ruling striking Section 5, Republican appointed U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts argued that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act was no longer necessary because the conditions that once justified it—widespread, state-sponsored racial discrimination in voting—had largely disappeared. Roberts maintained that America had changed and no longer needed extraordinary federal intervention in election laws. But actions in Republican controlled southern states proved that Roberts’ argument against Section 5 was wrong.

In North Carolina, in August 2013, the legislature passed House Bill 589, which reduced early voting, eliminated same-day registration, banned out-of-precinct voting, and imposed a strict photo ID requirement. The changes specifically impacted voting rules that Black voters were utilizing. In Alabama, a new photo‐ID law was implemented in 2014 that significantly restricted the types of identification accepted (eliminating options like Social Security cards, birth certificates, EBT cards), soon after the Shelby decision. In Texas, officials immediately moved to enforce a strict voter‐ID law the day of the Shelby decision, which had previously been blocked under pre‐clearance. In Georgia, the passage of the Election Integrity Act of 2021 (also known as Senate Bill 202) imposed limits on absentee ballot drop-boxes, changed the timeframe for requesting absentee ballots, increased legislative control over election administration, and made it a crime for third parties to provide food or water to voters waiting in line.

Additionally, in multiple former Section 5 jurisdictions, there were hundreds of polling-place closures after Shelby — for example, one report found 1,688 polling-place closures between 2012 and 2018 in formerly covered areas. But now Democrats appear to be prepared to bring the same energy to the war on maps as Republicans have for years.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

With 200 Supporters in Norfolk Outside, NY Attorney General Letitia James Pleads Not Guilty

Don't Miss

Tish James is Arraigned in Virginia as Black Woman Stand in Support of Her

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

LIVE from the NMA Convention Raheem DeVaughn Says The Time Is Now: Let’s End HIV in Our Communities #2

Set against the backdrop of the NMA conference, Executive Officers from the National Medical Association, Grammy Award Winning Artist and Advocate Raheem DeVaughn, and Gilead Sciences experts, are holding today an important conversation on HIV prevention and health equity. Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event […]

Published

5 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event is designed to uplift voices, explore barriers to access, and increase awareness and key updates about PrEP, a proven prevention method that remains underutilized among Black women. This timely gathering will feature voices from across health, media, and advocacy as we break stigma and center equity in HIV prevention.

Additional stats and information to know:

● Black women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, with Black women representing more than 50% of new HIV diagnoses among women in the U.S. in 2022, despite comprising just 13% of women in the U.S.

● Women made up only 8% of PrEP users despite representing 19% of all new HIV diagnoses in 2022.

● Gilead Sciences is increasing awareness and addressing stigma by encouraging regular HIV testing and having judgment-free conversations with your healthcare provider about prevention options, including oral PrEP and long-acting injectable PrEP options.

● PrEP is an HIV prevention medication that has been available since 2012.

● Only 1 in 3 people in the U.S. who could benefit from PrEP were prescribed a form of PrEP in 2022.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

TRUMP: “Washington, D.C. is Safe”

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Published

5 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

By Apriil Ryan
BlackPressUSA Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent

“Washington, D.C. is safe,” President Trump declared from the Oval Office today. Those words came while Trump was hosting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the question-and-answer session, which primarily focused on a peace deal in the Russian-Ukrainian war, Trump explained, “You did that in four days.” He was speaking of how fast the National Guard quelled the violence in what was once called Chocolate City.

The President deployed the National Guard to D.C. a week ago, to a city with reduced crime rates over the previous year. Violent crime dropped by 26%, marking the lowest level in 30 years. Homicides also fell by 11%.

President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Trump reinforced his claim about the newly acquired safety in D.C. by relaying that a friend’s son is attending dinner in D.C., something he would not have done last year.

After the president finished his comments, a reporter/commentator in the room with close connections to Marjorie Taylor Greene jumped into the high-level conversation to affirm the president’s comments, saying, “I walked around yesterday with MTG. If you can walk around D.C. with MTG and not be attacked, this city is safe.”

That reporter was the same person who chastised President Zelenskyy months ago during his first Oval Office meeting with Trump for not wearing a business suit. Zelenskyy, a wartime President, has been clad in less formal attire to reflect the country’s current war stance against Russia.

Without any sourcing, President Trump also said, “People that haven’t gone out to dinner in Washington, D.C., in two years are going out to dinner, and the restaurants the last two days have been busier than they’ve been in a long time.”

The increase in policing in Washington, D.C. is because a 19-year-old former Doge employee was carjacked in the early hours of the morning recently.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Rising Energy Costs Weigh Heaviest on Black Households

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

Published

5 days ago

February 3, 2026

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

A new national study from Binghamton University and California State University, San Bernardino, finds that Black households spend a far larger share of their income on energy compared to white households, even when income levels are the same. “We often say that African Americans suffer more, but we often blame it just on income. And the reality is, there is something more there,” study author George Homsy, associate professor at Binghamton University, wrote. “It’s not just because they tend to be poor. There is something that’s putting them at a disadvantage. I think what happened is it happens to be where they live.” The study, published in Energy Research & Social Science, analyzed 65,000 census tracts across the United States. It found that while the average American household spends about 3.2% of income on energy bills, households in the majority African American census tracts spend an average of 5.1%.

Homsy and researcher Ki Eun Kang point to the age and condition of housing stock, along with lower homeownership rates, as key drivers. Their research concludes that “energy burden is not simply a matter of income or energy cost but also race, which might be driven by place.” Older, less energy-efficient housing and high rental rates in Black communities mean residents often cannot make upgrades like improved insulation or new appliances, locking families into higher bills.

Tradeoffs and Health Risks

The consequences go beyond money. Families forced to spend 10% or more of their income on energy — what experts classify as “unmanageable” — may cut back on food, medicine, or other essentials. More than 12 million U.S. households report leaving their homes at unsafe temperatures to reduce costs, while millions more fall behind on utility bills. The health effects are severe. High energy burdens increase risks of asthma, depression, poor sleep, pneumonia, and even premature death. The issue is especially acute for African Americans, who are disproportionately exposed to housing and environmental conditions that amplify these risks.

Washington, D.C.: A Case Study

In Washington, D.C., the problem is particularly stark. A recent analysis by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) shows that SNAP-eligible households spend more than 20% of their income on energy bills. Across the metro area, nearly two-thirds of low-income households devote over 6% of their income to energy, and 40% face what researchers call a “severe financial strain,” paying more than 10%. Pepco, the District’s primary electricity provider, has implemented three consecutive annual rate hikes, pushing the average household bill to $114 per month as of January 2025. Shutoffs have followed — nearly 12,000 customers lost service in 2024, with disconnections doubling after a summer rate hike. Washington Gas has also sought a 12% rate increase and pushed a controversial $215 million pipeline replacement project, rebranded as “District SAFE.” The plan could ultimately cost D.C. households an additional $45,000 each over several decades, or nearly $1,000 annually added to bills.

Historical Roots

Researchers argue that these inequities are not accidental but rooted in history. The ScienceDirect study reveals that African American communities living in formerly redlined neighborhoods continue to face disadvantages today — from poor housing quality to higher climate risks. Homsy says policymakers must make targeted efforts. “It is harder to get to rental units where a lot of poor people live,” he noted. “We need to work harder to get into these communities of color.”