Native Land Pod Tennessee’s Redistricting is RACIST | NLP Replay
May 10, 2026
A deep dive into Tennessee’s new redistricting moves and how maps can be drawn to weaken Black representation. Conversations unpack tactics used to split communities and the legal shifts that enable political gerrymanders. The segment also examines coordinated political strategies and longer-term fixes like changing the Supreme Court.
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Tennessee Special Session Targets Black District
- Tennessee Republicans called a special session to redraw maps that would eliminate the state's sole majority-Black congressional district.
- Angela Rye and guests highlight London Lamar's floor speech calling the move one of the most racist actions in the legislature's modern history.
Mapmaker's View Shows Absurd Tennessee Lines
- Bakari Sellers recounts his experience drawing South Carolina maps in 2010 and the painstaking precinct-level work required.
- He contrasts that with Tennessee maps that absurdly link downtown Memphis to a city 200 miles away, illustrating blatant gerrymandering.
Partisan Gerrymandering Masks Racial Disenfranchisement
- The post-Section 5 Supreme Court landscape allows political gerrymandering framed as partisan advantage rather than racial targeting.
- Hosts warn that because race and party align in the South, partisan maps effectively disenfranchise Black voters.