• Tennessee lawmakers approved a new congressional map that dismantles the only Democratic-held district.
• The restructured map splits Memphis, a majority-Black city, into three Republican-leaning districts.
• Democratic representatives and activists have condemned the map as racially motivated and a tool of oppression.
• The redistricting follows a Supreme Court ruling that weakened voting rights protections, prompting similar actions in other states.
• Protests erupted at the state capitol as lawmakers proceeded with the vote amid significant opposition.

Tennessee's Republican-led legislature has passed a new congressional map that effectively dismantles the state's only majority-Black U.S. House district, centered around Memphis, aiming to strengthen Republican control ahead of the November elections. The vote was part of a broader challenge that follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act, offering GOP lawmakers a new strategy in redistricting efforts, according to Los Angeles Times, Reuters, and CBS News.

The new map divides Shelby County into three separate districts, which threatens Democratic Representative Steve Cohen's seat, as the Democrats currently hold only one of the nine congressional seats in Tennessee. Republican leaders have emphasized that their actions are driven by partisan advantages rather than racial motivations, asserting that the new boundaries could allow the state to have an all-Republican delegation for the first time, according to Reuters and NPR.

The passage of this redistricting plan incited widespread protests at the state capitol, where demonstrators shouted against the perceived racial implications of the map. State Representative Justin Pearson accused the legislators of creating “racist tools of white supremacy,” reflecting the sentiments of many Democrats who condemned the bill as reminiscent of Jim Crow laws. Significant opposition within the legislature also included a walkout by Democratic lawmakers during the vote, as noted by Los Angeles Times and CBS News.

This legislative maneuvering in Tennessee is part of a larger trend in Southern states responding to the Supreme Court decision by redrawing district lines that might diminish Democratic representation. States such as Alabama and Louisiana are also considering similar changes to their congressional maps, potentially leading to a significant shift in political power in the upcoming elections, according to Reuters and NPR.