NAACP Sues Tennessee to Block Its Attempt to Eliminate Black Voting District
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2026
Contact: Chyna Fields, cfields@naacpnet.org
TENNESSEE – Today, the NAACP Tennessee State Conference filed a lawsuit in Tennessee to block the State's attempt to remove the only majority Black Congressional district in the state. This lawsuit follows the U.S. Supreme Court's recent blow to the Voting Rights Act in its Louisiana v. Callais decision. The NAACP is seeking to prevent violations of the Tennessee Constitution and Tennessee law that would eliminate a majority Black district.
"It is a direct attack on our democracy and our Constitution to dismantle majority-Black districts. A democracy without Black representation is not a democracy," said Kristen Clarke, NAACP General Counsel. "Black communities in Tennessee have been silenced and brutalized for centuries. This is where the KKK was born and where MLK was assassinated. Black residents were faced with racial violence and legal suppression every single day. And to vote, they were met with poll taxes and literacy tests designed to keep them silent. We're outraged that the State, rather than seeking a more just and fair system, is seeking to roll Tennessee back to a time when many of us didn't have equal rights. We will fight this map, tooth and nail."
The NAACP hosted two events this week to call for fair congressional maps. The first: a Voting Rights Town Hall meeting at The First Baptist Church Broad in Memphis. And the second: a rally at the Tennessee State Capitol Building. These events come as Tennessee Governor Bill Lee pushed the Legislature to adopt a redistricting plan that civil rights advocates say targets Black voters.
The town hall and rally follow NAACP mobilizations in Alabama, against its new map, and lawsuits in multiple states challenging both racial gerrymandering and assaults on voting rights, amid escalating attacks on free and fair elections.
"The Tennessee State Conference of the NAACP will fight this attempt to silence Black voters through this unlawful redistricting process," said Gloria Sweet-Love, President of the Tennessee State Conference of the NAACP. "There is a long history and contemporary pattern of unfair redistricting practices in rural West Tennessee that have harmed Black political representation. We will stand up to make sure that Black voters retain their voting power."
The NAACP has sued the states of Texas and Missouri over redistricting, the Trump administration multiple times over illegal election-related executive orders, and intervened in lawsuits in multiple states to block the U.S. Department of Justice's unlawful attempts to collect sensitive voter data.
For more information about our work to protect voting rights in America, visit our website.
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About NAACP
The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.
NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF – was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity.