The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Aug. 26, 2025
Recent estimates put Mississippi’s Black population at around 37%. Of Mississippi’s former and current 104 state supreme court justices, only four have been African American, including only one of nine sitting justices. An August 19th ruling from a federal 5th Circuit district court may change that.
Mississippi has three state supreme court voting districts and nine justices, with three justices elected from each district. Of the Black justices who served, all were appointed by governors first, before being later re-elected. In two of those districts, no African American justice has ever been elected or re-elected.
Senior U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock considered the demographics, including the Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP) and Black Voting Age Population (BVAP), and past supreme court race outcomes, and determined the current maps diluted Black voting power. She ruled the districts violated the Voting Rights Act Section 2 by splitting the state’s Delta region in two, a historically heavy concentration of Black voters.
The legislature must now draw new districts, at least one with a chance for Black voters to elect the candidate of their choice. In May, the legislature submitted new House and Senate districts after a 5th Circuit appeals panel found earlier maps, too, were violations. As a result, special elections for 15 legislative seats are scheduled for November 4th.
We have the Aug. 19th decision and local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Mississippi Free Press – Court Approves Lawmakers’ Redrawn Mississippi Senate District Map
State of Mississippi Judiciary – Mississippi Supreme Court
Mississippi Today – Federal judge rules Mississippi Supreme Court districts dilute Black vote, must be redrawn
North American Community Hub – U.S. Census – Racial Make-Up of Mississippi
5th Circuit District Court via FindLaw – Decision in White v. Board of Elections
ACLU – Federal Court Orders Mississippi Supreme Court District Lines Be Redrawn
Groups Taking Action:
ACLU MS, Southern Poverty Law Center
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State
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