SUMMARY

In a 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority struck down one of Louisiana’s majority-Black congressional districts. The decision weakens key protections under the Voting Rights Act and could open the door to broader legal challenges over majority-Black and Latino districts nationwide. Amy Howe and Amy Walter join Geoff Bennett to discuss.

View the transcript of the story.

NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?

News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

1. Where did the case come from that led to this decision by the Supreme Court?
2. How will the Supreme Court decision impact the way Louisiana chooses its Congressional representatives?
3. When was the Voting Rights Act passed, and why?
4. What was the impact on Black voting rates after the Voting Rights Act was passed?
5. Why did the court change its previous interpretation of the Voting Rights Act?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• How do you think the Supreme Court's ruling is likely to impact U.S. elections in the future? What do you think will be the most significant changes?
• How do you think states should draw Congressional district maps so that they are fair and representative of the voters in each state?

Media literacy: Why do you think the producers of this segment chose to bring on a Supreme Court analyst and a political analyst for interviews?

WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO

Watch the following segment from Civics Made Easy about voting rights in the U.S. Then as a class, discuss —

• What aspect of the history of voting rights in the U.S. surprised you the most?
• What existing rules around voting do you think are unfair, or should be updated?
• How can you find out what voting rights are protected in your state?

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