OXFORD, Miss. — A federal court today ruled that Mississippi’s Supreme Court district lines must be redrawn to ensure Black voters have an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.
The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Mississippi, Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP brought the challenge on behalf of individual Black civic leaders, including business and civic leader Dyamone White; Ty Pinkins, a 20-year Army veteran and Georgetown Law graduate; educator Constance Slaughter Harvey-Burwell; and Mississippi Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons of Greenville.
At trial, Plaintiffs successfully argued the current district lines severely diluted the voting strength of Black residents in state Supreme Court elections, in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Under the challenged lines, the state’s nine-member Supreme Court has had only four Black justices in its entire history, each one appointed in succession by the governor to the same seat. Mississippi is nearly forty percent Black by population.
The Supreme Court district lines have remained almost entirely unchanged for over a century save for a minor shift of four counties in 1987. They cut the historically Black Mississippi Delta region in half, preventing the candidates preferred by Black voters from being elected.
The Mississippi Legislature will be tasked with implementing the court’s order by drawing new district lines that provide Black voters with a full and fair opportunity to elect candidates of choice.
The following are reactions to today’s ruling:
“Throughout our state’s history, Black voters have been boxed out from choosing justices who make decisions about our lives and our rights,” said business and civic leader Dyamone White, lead Plaintiff. “Today’s ruling restores hope that Mississippi’s future will be guided by a judiciary chosen by all of the people—not just some. This victory is bigger than me—it’s a powerful affirmation of fair representation."
“This ruling is a historic victory for fairness and justice in Mississippi,” said Senator Derrick T. Simmons, Plaintiff and Mississippi Senate Minority Leader. “For too long, the lines for our Supreme Court districts diluted the voices of Black voters and denied them a fair opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. The court’s decision affirms what we have long known—that our democracy works best when every community has equal representation. This ruling is not just a win for the other plaintiffs and me, but for every Mississippian who believes in the fundamental promise of equal justice under the law.”
“This win corrects a historic injustice,” said Ari Savitzky, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project. “All Mississippians will benefit from fair district lines that give Black voters an equal voice — and new generations of Black leaders an equal chance to help shape the state’s future by serving on the state’s highest court.”
“Today’s win is a victory for all Mississippians. Our state succeeds when it embraces its diversity and welcomes all voices. This ruling acknowledges that the current Supreme Court district lines silence too many Black Mississippians. Thanks to this federal court’s decision, Black voters will have a more equal say in who serves on our state’s highest court,” said Jarvis Dortch, executive director of the ACLU of Mississippi.
"All Mississippians deserve the right to have their vote counted. This victory is a great leap forward for protecting the most fundamental right in this nation, voting," said Ahmed Soussi, senior staff attorney at the SPLC. "Black voters will now have an equal voice in shaping and forming the highest court in the Magnolia State. We look forward to the redistricting process and ensuring a fair map is passed."
“Voting is the cornerstone of a functioning democracy. This decision affirms that principle by recognizing the importance of fair and legal districting. All Mississippi citizens must have a full and fair opportunity to shape the judiciary that serves them,” said Jon Youngwood, Global Co-Chair of Simpson Thacher’s Litigation Department.
The ruling is online here. https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2025/08/2025.08.19.d-ORDER-AND.pdf
This statement is online here: https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/federal-court-orders-mississippi-supreme-court-district-lines-be-redrawn
