Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, has called a special legislative session for Tuesday that would redraw Tennessee's congressional map, potentially erasing the 9th Congressional District—the state's only majority-Black seat and currently held by a Democrat. If the redistricting plan succeeds in splitting the Memphis district into multiple Republican-leaning areas, all nine members of Tennessee's congressional delegation would be Republican.
State Representative Justin Pearson, a Memphis Democrat challenging incumbent Representative Steve Cohen in the Democratic primary, is leading opposition efforts. On Monday, Pearson walked nine miles through Memphis to protest the Republican redistricting push and mobilize support against what he characterized as a discriminatory attack on voting representation.
"We're trying to get as many folks to sign the petition and raise awareness about the racist attack on our district trying to take away the only majority-Black district in the entire state of Tennessee," Pearson said. "House Republicans, senators, the governor and the president of the United States are trying to take our district away, and we need your support."
Activists opposing the redistricting effort have organized under a coalition called Defend District 9. Their push against the plan follows a recent Supreme Court decision that critics argue weakens voting rights protections.
