Tennessee Republicans approved a controversial congressional redistricting plan Thursday that breaks apart the state’s only majority-Black district in Memphis, prompting State Representative Justin Jones to burn a Confederate flag in protest at the Capitol building.
Memphis District Divided Into Three
The new congressional map splits Memphis and Shelby County into three separate districts, effectively dismantling Tennessee’s sole Democratic district. Governor Bill Lee signed the legislation into law almost immediately after Republican lawmakers passed it. The redistricting plan faces criticism for potentially diluting Black voting power in a region where minority voters have historically held electoral influence through concentrated representation in a single congressional district.
Lawmaker Burns Confederate Flag at Capitol
Representative Jones joined demonstrators marching through the Tennessee Capitol, where he held up a printed Confederate flag and set it ablaze. The symbolic act punctuated his objections to what he characterized as a step backward for civil rights. Jones stated on social media that entering the building felt like 2026, but leaving felt like pre-1965, referencing the era before the Voting Rights Act. He described the redistricting as a racial power grab designed to eliminate Black voices from democratic participation.
Concerns About Black Representation
Jones warned the redistricting could trigger the largest loss of Black legislators and representation since Reconstruction ended in the 1870s. The new map transforms a concentrated voting bloc into fragmented minorities across multiple districts, potentially reducing the ability of Black voters to elect their preferred candidates. Republican supporters of the plan argue it creates more competitive districts and better reflects population shifts, though critics contend the timing and execution suggest partisan motivations rather than demographic necessity.
Constitutional Questions Ahead
The redistricting raises questions about compliance with federal voting rights protections. Similar cases in other states have faced legal challenges over allegations of racial gerrymandering and vote dilution. Tennessee Republicans maintain the new map follows legal requirements and accurately represents current population distributions. The controversy underscores ongoing national debates about redistricting practices, minority representation, and the balance between partisan advantage and fair electoral systems that preserve constitutional protections for all voters regardless of race or political affiliation.
Yes. I don’t have any objection to showing my ID for verification of my identity. I don’t understand why amine would.
You have to show identification everywhere you go
Newsblock censored me
No ID NO VOTE, simple
Funny thing is the once “Black” district has for years been represented by a White guy and the likely person that will benefit by this redistricting is a Black woman. So much for racist intent.
Regarding redistricting: Each district should bear the proper mix of people in the State: If blacks to whites are 42% blacks and 52% in the states population (just as an example, with other minorities making up the other 6%), then each district should be drawn up to represent those percentages… NOT creating solely white districts or solely black districts, which would be separatist. Then people will decide based upon a potential candidate’s merits, not their skin color.
As for ID’s to vote, YES!. Voter ID should be required to register as well. And there should be a voter database kept by the state to show no one is registered numerous times in separate districts. By registering, they prove where they are to vote as a valid citizen in that area, By presenting it when they show up to vote, they show they are not some dead person, or an incarerate person, etc…
Yeah. They don’t math to well
Are you saying that blacks don’t have the same issues everybody else has? Why do they need their own “black district”. Should we do that for every way we can split the representation? Should we create districts so females can have better representation? Should we create Catholic or Jewish districts so they can have better representation? The thought that you have to have black people band together to get representation is a racist proposition at its very core. Black people, just like anybody else, have minds that can discern the different ideas being presented and choose which candidate best represents their ideas whether the candidate matches their race, religion or gender. How can you not see that?
Looks like an insurrection at the TX capitol.
TN, not TX.
There should be no favoritism to anyone no matter what color their skin is. Tired of one group always calls racism and their the ones who utilize the most government benefits. Go to work and be responsible for the children that you breed.