GALLERY – The ACLU of Mississippi and a coalition of voting rights organizations gathered at the Mississippi State Capitol for a press conference focused on fairness and transparency in the state’s legislative redistricting process

On Aug. 10th, the ACLU of Mississippi and a coalition of voting rights organizations gathered at the Mississippi State Capitol for a press conference focused on fairness and transparency in the state’s legislative redistricting process. The press conference was held ahead of the House Select Committee on Redistricting hearing, with speakers calling for a redistricting process that complies with federal law and protects the voting rights of Mississippi communities. Speakers included Fair Fight Action Southern States Director and Senior Director Amir Badat, Mississippi House District 22 Representative Justin Crosby, Mississippi Senate District 45 Senator Johnny Dupree, Angela Grayson, Director of Civic Engagement & Voting Rights for the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable and Mississippi House Minority Leader Robert Johnson. The coalition raised concerns about the pace of the redistricting process and emphasized the continued application of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting. The ACLU of Mississippi said any new legislative or congressional maps should be developed through a fair and transparent process while ensuring that Black voters and other communities have an opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. (Advocate Photos: Joshua Martin)