A large crowd gathered outside Mississippi’s state capitol building on Thursday evening to voice opposition to Republican-led redistricting initiatives. The protest followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision, which critics argue weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. In response, Governor Tate Reeves and other Republican officials called for a special legislative session to redraw electoral maps, though Reeves subsequently canceled the initial session and indicated that lawmakers should complete redistricting work before the 2027 elections.
Thursday’s gathering represented the final hearing in a series of eight redistricting forums held across the state during the preceding month. Speakers at the rally connected the current redistricting process to Mississippi’s historical disenfranchisement of Black voters, referencing the state’s 1890 constitution, the Jim Crow era, and the civil rights movement. Safia Malin, policy director at civic organization One Voice, urged attendees to continue the work of historical civil rights leaders. Following speeches, attendees marched through the capitol building holding signs and chanting opposition slogans.
The redistricting committee, composed primarily of white Republican men alongside Black Democratic members, did not respond to questions or clarify how public testimony would influence their final recommendations. During the nearly two-hour hearing, 67 speakers each received two minutes to address the committee. State Auditor Shad White, who is reportedly considering a gubernatorial campaign, drew audience disapproval when he criticized Democratic U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson and suggested he did not adequately represent the Mississippi Delta region.
Testifiers presented historical and personal arguments against the redistricting effort. Some speakers characterized the initiative as reminiscent of post-Reconstruction tactics that stripped Black elected officials from office. Others emphasized family histories of disenfranchisement spanning generations. A Tougaloo College student questioned why the committee prioritized redistricting hearings over forums addressing other state concerns such as Medicaid expansion.
Lawmakers are expected to convene in a special session later this year to redraw state legislative maps, which would not affect the upcoming November elections. Republicans are reportedly expected to target Representative Thompson’s seat before his re-election cycle in 2028.
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