Alabama's Congressional Districts Thrown Out; BPL Hosting Saturday Workshop on 1926 Birmingham Zoning Map That Separated Citizens by Race

This is the 1926 Birmingham Zoning Map designed to separate the population by race.

A major U.S. Supreme Court ruling today, Thursday, June 8 - saying Alabama's Congressional districts map were unconstitutionally drawn up to favor white voters - showed that struggles with race and voting are still with us - almost a century after another controversial map was enacted by the City of Birmingham in 1926. 

During a time in which racist laws were in place to hurt blacks, a 1926 Birmingham Zoning Map was designed to separate the population by race. The Birmingham Public Library's Southern History Department is hosting a Summer Reading Program this Saturday exploring the issue. 

 An Emblem of Segregation: The 1926 Birmingham Zoning Map will be held Saturday, June 10, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. in Arrington Auditorium, BPL Research Building. 

Paul Boncella, BPL's map conservator, will explore how dividing Birmingham by race existed both in theory and in practice long before the legislation that made it legal was passed in 1926. In his workshop, Boncella will examine the zoning map and other documents to demonstrate how the ordinance came into existence and why it was initially accepted by the population at large.

The U.S. Supreme Court today struck down Republican-drawn congressional districts in Alabama that civil rights activists say discriminated against Black voters, a surprise ruling that affirmed the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act. The High Court's 5-4 ruling sided with civil rights advocates who argued state Republican lawmakers diluted the power of Black voters in Alabama by dividing voters into districts where white voters dominate.

The decision against Alabama  means the map of the seven congressional districts, six of which heavily favor Republicans, will now be redrawn. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, both conservatives, joined the court's three liberals in the majority. 

In the ruling, Roberts, writing for the majority, said a lower court had correctly concluded that the congressional map violated the voting rights law.  Civil rights groups and their supporters, including the Biden administration, praised the widely unexpected U.S. Supreme Court win.

See the disputed Alabama Congressional Districts map by clicking here.