Thousands of Mississippians, joined by allies from other southern states, converged at the state's War Memorial Building auditorium on Wednesday to demand the protection of voting rights. The demonstration, the latest in a series of actions against the Supreme Court's recent decision gutting a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, took place at a site deeply tied to the state's history of Black disenfranchisement.
Historic Location and Symbolism
The rally was held adjacent to the Old Capitol, where in 1890 white supremacist legislators enacted the Mississippi Plan to strip Black citizens of their voting rights. This location, described by activists as the 'crime scene,' served as a powerful backdrop for the event.
'We had to come here to the crime scene because it's time to arrest the state of Mississippi,' said Danyelle Holmes, senior social justice organizer with Repairers of the Breach and the Poor People's Campaign. 'Today we come to serve notice that we will not go back to the days of Jim Crow. We will not go back to 1890.'
Supreme Court Decision Sparks Outrage
The Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais has opened the door for southern states to redraw congressional districts in ways that dilute Black political power. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act had previously prevented such discriminatory redistricting, leading to the largest expansion of Black political representation since Reconstruction.
'And now, the Roberts court has opened the door to the biggest destruction of Black political power since the end of Reconstruction,' said Amir Badat, southern states director at Fair Fight Action.
Southern States Move to Redraw Maps
Since the decision, Florida's Republicans have enacted a new map, Tennessee eliminated its only Black congressional district, and Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Georgia are following suit. Mississippi, with a nearly 40% Black population, initially planned a special session for redistricting, but Governor Tate Reeves postponed it, though he expects maps to be redrawn before 2027.
Voices of Resistance
The rally featured speeches from Representative Bennie Thompson, whose district is targeted by Republicans, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, author Eddie Glaude, and Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones. Participants carried signs with images of Medgar Evers, the slain civil rights activist, and chanted 'Protect our vote' and 'Jim Crow Must Go.'
'We're not going down without a fight,' Jones declared. 'We may not be a swing state in Mississippi or Tennessee or Alabama, but we'll swing back on you. We come in the spirit of our ancestors. We come as one, but we stand as 10,000.'
March Through Jackson
The crowd marched from the Old Capitol past the state capitol, governor's mansion, and other landmarks to the Jackson Convention Complex, where the rally continued with prayers, songs, and calls to action. The demonstration underscored a fierce determination to protect voting rights and resist a return to the Jim Crow era.
