Black Americans’ racial identity has been wielded as a weapon in our politics for decades, used either as a shield to protect powerful people or as a cudgel to beat their opponents.

Democrats have specialized in this warfare, accusing Republicans of racial discrimination to reclaim leverage any time they’re in a losing position.

We saw it once again Wednesday, when the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map, ruling that it had unconstitutionally created a second majority-black district.

The map was imposed by a federal judge in 2024 to satisfy the federal Voting Rights Act.

Immediately, Louisiana Democrats and national civil-rights organizations clamored that the ruling will disenfranchise black voters.

It was “a devastating blow to the promise of equal representation in our democracy,” Rep. Troy Carter lamented on Instagram.

“This decision will embolden efforts to dismantle majority-black districts and fracture communities that have finally begun to see themselves reflected in their government.”

NAACP President Derrick Johnson said the ruling was “a license for corrupt politicians who want to rig the system by silencing entire communities.”

“The Supreme Court betrayed black voters, they betrayed America, and they betrayed our democracy,” he fumed.

They’re desperately trying to frame their advocacy around racial equality — but in truth, their grievance is a simple matter of political power.

It’s part of their well-practiced sleight of hand to claim supposed racial injustice as a mechanism — in this case, to gain Democratic seats in a Republican-leaning state.

Whether it’s the NAACP, the ACLU, the SPLC or the party itself, their objective isn’t fairness; it’s to use black Americans’ cover to push a left-wing agenda and boost Democratic Party aims.

But the lesson of the Civil Rights era wasn’t just that discriminating against black Americans is bad.

The lesson was that racial discrimination is bad, full stop.

Any racial discrimination gives someone an unfair advantage over others, and it’s wrong no matter who gets the benefit.

Democrats want Americans to accept discriminatory practices under the illusion of helping black Americans, based solely on pity.

But if the goal is real equality, trying to force race-based outcomes is exactly what we need to root out.

The Supreme Court has made that clear in several recent decisions, such as barring universities from giving preferential treatment to certain racial groups in the admissions process.

The Democrats expressing outrage at the justices’ ruling aren’t upset about fairness for their black voters; they’re upset that Democrats will no longer be able to use them to obtain more congressional seats.

Knowing that 85 to 95% of black Louisiana voters lean Democrat, the party for decades has been able to draw district lines that guarantee Democratic seats in deep-red states.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there’s not a single black American, dead or alive, that Democrats won’t use to further their ambitions for political influence.

It’s a political party that throws words like “equal rights” around with abandon, but will engage in discrimination when it suits them.

The Voting Rights Act exists to enforce race neutrality in the voting process — and any time you purposefully push to give an advantage based purely on race, you’re engaging in the same sinful conduct we strived to get away from generations ago.

The Supreme Court isn’t removing anyone’s ability to vote: It’s standing in the way of a Democratic Party power grab.

This decision isn’t hurting democracy.

It’s hurting the Democrats.

Adam B. Coleman is the author of “The Children We Left Behind” and founder of Wrong Speak Publishing.