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Hello Sara,
I write to urge you, emphatically, to listen in to the October 15, 2025, oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court in Louisiana v. Callais. This is not just another redistricting case — it may well herald the next major chapter in the dismantling of civil rights protections. We cannot afford to let this moment pass quietly.
What’s at stake
• The Court is reconsidering whether Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act remains a meaningful tool to remedy racial discrimination in redistricting.
• A decision that severely restricts or effectively nullifies Section 2 would build directly on prior decisions like Shelby County v. Holder (2013) and Brnovich v. DNC (2021), further hollowing out the VRA.
• Under the Louisiana map, Black Louisianans make up roughly a third of the state’s population, yet prior maps produced only one majority-Black district. Courts found that Section 2 required a second Black-majority district, and the state legislature responded with one for 2024.
• But now, white plaintiffs allege that the remedial district is itself an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The Supreme Court has asked whether the state’s intentional creation of a majority-minority district violates the 14th or 15th Amendments.
• If the Court adopts a rule that treating race, even for remedial or protective purposes, is presumptively unconstitutional, it would tie states’ hands in crafting fair maps.
• Such a ruling could ripple across the country: minority communities would lose a key legal lever to challenge vote dilution and discriminatory redistricting practices.
In short: this case could undo decades of progress in protecting the electoral power of voters of color.
Why you should listen and push back
• High stakes, low visibility. Many of our allies and the public may not grasp how sweeping the consequences could be. We need voices ready to explain, react, and mobilize.
• Be ready to respond in real time. Having listened to the live argument, you can write commentaries, social media threads, press statements, or internal memos while the public discourse is still forming.
• Signal that we are watching. The justices and other litigants should know that civil rights defenders, the media, and citizens aren’t asleep. Visibility creates accountability.
• Prepare for mobilization. If the decision is adverse, we’ll need to escalate legislative, advocacy, and litigation responses. But we can’t plan effective strategies unless we understand how the Court is reasoning in real time.
How to listen
You can access live audio (and sometimes video) of U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments via the Court’s official website:
• Visit the Court’s Oral Arguments page: https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/
• Once sessions are underway, you can click the relevant docket (24-109, Louisiana v. Callais).
• Note: arguments typically begin around 10:00 AM Eastern (though times vary).
We can’t let this moment slip by in silence.
Thank you for your urgency and attention in defending our democracy.
In peace & solidarity,
Souls to the Polls WI
[email protected]
P.S. Let us know if you intend to listen live or will download the audio post to listen on demand.
Click to complete Oral Arguments Survey
Hear other ways you can help to fight back. Sign the petition to protect voting rights.
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