Redrawn political boundary grants representation to African American constituents in Alabama's congressional district
Rewritten Article:
Located in Mobile, Alabama, Shalela Dowdy is a Black voter who has fought for fair representation, playing a significant role in the landmark lawsuit, Allen v. Milligan. Sitting under the shade of towering oak trees in Bienville Square, she passionately shares her views, emphasizing the importance of having a representative who cares about her community.
The Supreme Court agreed with Dowdy, finding Alabama's congressional map discriminated against Black voters, despite African Americans comprising around a quarter of the state's population. When the Republican-controlled state legislature failed to address this injustice and create a new district, a federal court stepped in, drawing one with a Black voting age population of 48.7%. This vibrant district stretches across Alabama and encompasses the majority-Black cities of Mobile on the Gulf Coast and Montgomery, the state capital.
The new lines resulted in the election of a Black Democrat, Rep. Shomari Figures, giving Alabama two Black members of Congress for the first time. Shalela Dowdy believes this change has made a difference and has even had a face-to-face meeting with Figures. However, she remains concerned about the Department of Defense, where her alma mater, West Point, has disbanded certain cultural clubs, including the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers.
These clubs provided Dowdy, a West Point graduate and Army veteran, with a safe space and invaluable resources when she was a student. Dowdy suspects West Point's decision to disband these clubs is motivated by President Trump's executive order to remove race and sex-based preferences and dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. This executive order, in turn, rolled back President Lyndon Johnson's historic 1965 Equal Employment Opportunity directive.
Trump argues that existing federal laws protect Americans from discrimination, and that diversity, equity, and inclusion policies undermine national unity and traditional American values. However, Dowdy fiercely opposes this stance, referring to it as a covert attempt to maintain the "good old boy system" and make America whiter.
Younger voters like Jamorrey Gosha, a senior at Alabama State University, are energized by this new congressional district. He believes it presents an opportunity for the voices of Black voters to be heard in Washington, D.C. Gosha hopes having a Black representative in Congress may encourage other young voters to participate in elections and recognize the power of their participation.
However, Gosha's faith-based non-profit, which offers minority scholarships and relies on federal grants, faces an uncertain future due to potential funding cuts as the Trump administration slashes government spending. This situation leaves him worried that the administration's focus on boosting the rich and disregarding the poor amounts to an attack on marginalized communities.
The battle for equal representation in Congress is far from over, as a federal court will determine the map used for the rest of the decade. In Montgomery, Evan Milligan, the named plaintiff in the redistricting lawsuit, reflects on the city's historical role in the struggle for racial equality. The former slave market, steps of the state capitol where Jefferson Davis took his oath as president of the Confederacy, the spot where Rosa Parks refused to yield her bus seat, and the streets where civil rights marchers led by Martin Luther King Jr. demanded the right to vote all serve as constant reminders of the fight for justice and representation.
Meanwhile, in Mobile, two retired women, Beverly Cooper and Amelia Bacon, are working tirelessly to encourage more people to be active in the democratic process. They believe the recent attack on the U.S. Capitol serves as a wake-up call, and they are determined to show people that their voting power can bring positive change to their communities. While they appreciate the efforts to dismantle institutional barriers, they remain concerned that the safety nets developed during the civil rights era are being dismantled, such as the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
Darron Patterson, a Mobile native with roots in the Africatown community founded by enslaved people brought to Mobile on the last documented slave ship, the Clotilda, fears that the Trump administration's attempts to rewrite America's difficult racial history are a threat to generations of racial progress. He warns of the dangers of sweeping history under the rug rather than working together to create a more inclusive society.
This article is part of American Voices, an occasional series exploring how political policies are impacting communities across America.
- Shalela Dowdy, a Black voter from Mobile, Alabama, played a significant role in a landmark lawsuit, emphasizing the need for a representative who cares about her community.
- The Supreme Court found Alabama's congressional map discriminated against Black voters, despite African Americans comprising around a quarter of the state's population.
- A federal court drew a new district with a Black voting age population of 48.7%, giving Alabama two Black members of Congress for the first time.
- Rep. Shomari Figures, the newly elected Black Democrat, has made a difference for Shalela Dowdy, but she remains concerned about the Department of Defense.
- West Point has disbanded cultural clubs like the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers, which provided Dowdy with valuable resources as a student.
- Dowdy suspects West Point's decision is motivated by President Trump's executive order to remove race and sex-based preferences, rolling back President Lyndon Johnson's historic 1965 Equal Employment Opportunity directive.
- Trump argues that existing federal laws protect Americans from discrimination, but Dowdy opposes his stance, viewing it as an attempt to maintain the old system and make America whiter.
- Younger voters like Jamorrey Gosha, a senior at Alabama State University, are energized by the new congressional district, hoping it encourages more young voters to participate in elections.
- However, Gosha's faith-based non-profit faces uncertain funding due to potential cuts as the Trump administration slashes government spending.
- The battle for equal representation in Congress is ongoing, with a federal court to determine the map used for the rest of the decade.
- Evan Milligan, the named plaintiff in the redistricting lawsuit, reflects on the historical role of Montgomery in the struggle for racial equality.
- In Mobile, two retired women, Beverly Cooper and Amelia Bacon, are working to encourage more people to be active in the democratic process, viewing the attack on the U.S. Capitol as a wake-up call.
- They are concerned that the safety nets developed during the civil rights era are being dismantled, such as the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
- Darron Patterson fears the Trump administration's attempts to rewrite America's difficult racial history are a threat to generations of racial progress.
- Meanwhile, in the realm of education and self-development, online education and job-search platforms are increasingly becoming important tools for personal growth and career development.
- The concept of mindfulness, as a means of promoting productivity and mental wellness, has gained traction in the political sphere, becoming an essential aspect of policy-and-legislation discussions.
- Life in today's world is not without its challenges: car-accidents, crimes-and-justice, and fires are constant concerns, emphasizing the importance of learning, goal-setting, lifelong learning, and skills-training for one's personal and professional growth.
