Organizers across the South are launching a 'Summer of Action' campaign with marches beginning this weekend, a coordinated response to what they see as accelerating attacks on voting access and political representation. The protests come after the Supreme Court narrowed the Voting Rights Act in late April, making it harder to challenge congressional maps on the basis of racial discrimination.
Republican-led states like Tennessee and Alabama have targeted Democratic-leaning districts, particularly those anchored by Black voters in urban areas, for last-minute 2026 redistricting. Governor Brian Kemp has called a special session to redraw Georgia's maps for 2028, while Mississippi's Governor Tate Reeves said his state will redistrict ahead of the same cycle, aiming to draw out longtime Representative Bennie Thompson.
The fight over maps, voting access, and political representation is intensifying as states redraw political power ahead of November's midterms and the 2028 general election. Organizers in Selma, Alabama are planning marches tied to the legacy of Bloody Sunday and the Edmund Pettus Bridge, framing this summer's demonstrations as a continuation of the civil rights movement.
The coordinated campaign represents a direct challenge to state-level GOP strategies that critics argue dilute minority voting power. The movement's success will depend on turnout and legal challenges, as many of these redistricting battles are likely to end up in federal court.
Opponents of the protests argue that redistricting is a normal political process and that the Supreme Court's ruling simply clarified existing law, not gutted protections. They contend that the GOP maps reflect legitimate partisan considerations, not racial discrimination.