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Readout of Congressional Black Caucus Voting Rights & Redistricting Strategy Summit
Washington,
February 6, 2026
On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, Chairwoman Yvette D. Clarke and Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) convened leading experts from the civil rights, voting rights, and legal community in Washington, D.C. for the Voting Rights & Redistricting Strategy Summit. The convening comes at a pivotal moment, as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to issue its decision in Louisiana v. Callais— a consequential redistricting case that could decimate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the cornerstone provision that outlaws racial discrimination in voting practices or procedures nationwide. The Summit provided a critical forum for CBC Members and experts to assess the evolving legal landscape, examine the imminent threat to the survival of majority-minority districts, and develop a unified response should Section 2 of the VRA be further weakened or nullified. The convening also positioned the CBC to lead the Democratic congressional response to the Court’s decision and to advance a coordinated strategy alongside civil rights organizations and allied stakeholders. CBC Members in attendance:
Guests in attendance:
Participants offered the following quotes: U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus: “Sixty years ago, Congress passed one of the most transformative and imperative laws in the history of this country. This nation was not yet a true democracy until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 opened the door for all Americans to cast a ballot on Election Day. Unfortunately, the VRA has been on conservatives’ hit list for decades and is now on life support. The Louisiana v. Callais case is not just about congressional maps in Louisiana—this case is a key component of Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s nationwide power grab to cement one-party Republican rule in Washington. “The Congressional Black Caucus convened thought leaders and experts from across the nation to build an agenda to counter this extremist effort to disenfranchise Black and brown communities and undermine the promise of equal representation. We will stand firm against efforts to weaken the VRA, reject attempts to manipulate our electoral system, and ensure that every voter—regardless of race, zip code, or background—has an equal voice in shaping our collective future. The survival of our democracy depends on it.” Eric H. Holder, Jr., the 82nd Attorney General of the United States and Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC): “There is a comfort within the Republican Party with doing anything—and I mean anything—to hold on to power, even at the cost of bending or breaking the rules of our democracy. That desire for power is the force behind both the Republican-driven mid-decade gerrymandering crisis that has swept the nation since last summer and the brazen efforts to gut the Voting Rights Act of 1965. “This is a deliberate, coordinated attack on our freedoms, and communities of color are the ones bearing the brunt of these anti-democracy efforts. Make no mistake, the fight to protect the right to vote will be difficult—but it is one we must win, so that we can ultimately pass a new, strengthened Voting Rights Act and put in place national redistricting standards to ensure the representative democracy that makes this nation exceptional endures.” Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel, Legal Defense Fund: “The impending U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais could determine the future of the federal Voting Rights Act. No matter the outcome, it is imperative that we continue using every tool at our disposal to ensure Black voters have full access to the ballot in every election. Now more than ever, we need to hold the line on hard fought rights and show that we will not stand down in the face of attempts to limit Black political power. Thank you for convening this important summit to align our efforts to ensure Black communities are protected and prepared for what’s to come.” Sherrilyn Ifill, Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Esq. Endowed Chair in Civil Rights and Founder of the 14th Amendment Center for Law & Democracy, Howard Law School; Former President and Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund: “The CBC has always been the fiercest congressional defenders of the Voting Rights Act and ensuring full voting rights for Black Americans. So, it was gratifying to participate in CBC's Summit where lawyers and advocates with deep and broad experience in litigating and studying the issue of voter suppression in our country could explore the challenges we are facing and potential new strategies. My remarks focused on the rich and still untapped provisions of the 14th Amendment that may provide effective and aggressive tools to combat voter suppression. “It is critical that the CBC defend the Voting Rights Act, but more important that the CBC explore proactive measures for Congress to effectively use the powers that were exclusively conferred on Congress in the 14th and 15th Amendment to protect and ensure the full citizenship and voting rights of Black Americans.” LaShawn Warren, Chief Policy Officer, Southern Poverty Law Center: "We are witnessing a coordinated effort to roll back decades of hard-won progress and weaken the civil rights ecosystem built since the Civil Rights Movement, redefining not only who is protected under the law, but also who is permitted to fight for those protections in the first place. The CBC Summit could not come at a more critical moment in our nation’s history. Because civil rights laws are not self-executing, their effectiveness depends on our collective vigilance and participation, as well as the willingness of the federal government and civil society institutions to uphold these promises through enforcement action and legislation, not only when they come under attack, but also by proactively advancing policies that ensure the guarantees of the U.S. Constitution are fully realized." Spencer Overton, Patricia Roberts Harris Research Professor & Multiracial Democracy Project Faculty Director, GW Law School: “Black Louisianans make up about a third of the state’s population, yet the U.S. Supreme Court is weighing changes to the Voting Rights Act that could greenlight extreme gerrymandering—leaving Black voters able to elect only one, or even none, of Louisiana’s six Members of Congress. At this pivotal moment, I’m grateful for the leadership of CBC Chair Yvette Clarke and the entire Caucus for bringing together the civil rights community to defend the right to vote and to ensure fair representation—so that communities are not locked out of power despite their share of the electorate.” Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: "The Lawyers’ Committee is grateful to the Congressional Black Caucus, and its Chair, the Honorable Yvette D. Clark, for convening this critical Voting Rights Summit at a moment of extraordinary consequence for the country. We have come to a monumental crossroads for voting rights as we know it. We are confronting an all-out assault on access to the ballot that represents the culmination of a decades-long strategy to dismantle the Voting Rights Act, and, in effect, undermine and undo the gains won by the Black community to achieve true representation and full participation in our democracy. Meeting this moment will require unprecedented coordination, vigilance, and creativity. The Lawyers’ Committee will certainly do our part through strategic litigation and our leadership role in the Election Protection Coalition to combat voter suppression and ensure that our people are informed and their rights are safeguarded. But it is equally urgent that Congress act immediately to pass legislation to address the latest wave of threats to democracy. That includes the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and other measures that are fully within Congress’ authority to enact under the Fifteenth Amendment. The future of our democracy and our right to be complete citizens depends on it.” Cliff Albright, 2020 Soros Equality Fellow and Co-Founder, Black Voters Matter: “The CBC Voting Rights Summit was a critically important step towards combining the litigation, policy and mobilizing strategies and experts with the knowledge and knowledge influence of the CBC. The combined efforts of those who participated are exactly what’s necessary not only to defend against current attacks on voting rights but also to advance an affirmative vision of what’s possible.” Guy Uriel-Charles, Charles J. Ogletree. Jr. Professor of Law, Harvard Law School; Faculty Director, Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice: “The CBC’s voting rights summit is a reflection of the fact that CBC members take their role of safeguarding America’s democracy seriously. Chairwoman Clarke is displaying the foresight and vision to lay the groundwork for a new approach to the right to vote that will ensure that consequential political participation for all. We are at an important crossroads in American democracy, and the summit is clear evidence that the CBC is rising to the occasion.” Marc Elias, Firm Chair, Elias Law Group: "Around the country, Black voters are facing attacks that threaten to dismantle decades of progress toward basic political equality. The Congressional Black Caucus has been on the front lines of this battle, and I am grateful for their leadership and vision during this inflection point for our democracy. As the future of the Voting Rights Act hangs in the balance, the CBC’s Voting Rights Summit provided a crucial forum to discuss the path forward for voting rights.” |
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