The Mobile NAACP has joined the Southern Poverty Law Center and Stand Up Mobile in opposing Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s proposed redistricting plan, arguing that the plan’s proposed fourth Black-majority district does not meet the legal threshold for minority representation.
Every ten years following the U.S. Census, Mobile must redraw the boundaries of its seven city council districts to reflect updated population data. According to the latest Census count, the city is more than 51% Black and almost 44% white. Among voting-age residents, 48.4% are Black and 44.4% are white.
Stimpson’s plan calls for four of the seven districts to have more Black voters than white voters, which the mayor said would ensure that the city council, for the first time ever, would have four Black representatives and three white representatives.
Groups say District 7 falls short of Voting Rights Act requirements
The major point of contention is District 7, which the mayor identified as the proposed fourth Black district. Under Stimpson’s latest proposal, District 7 would have a voting-age population of 48.1% Black and 45.4% white.
African American and voting rights groups said the Black population should be at least 50% in District 7 to comply with the Voting Rights Act.
“Under 50% is not compliant with the Voting Rights Act,” said Beverly Cooper with Stand Up Mobile, noting that she was referring to 50% of the voting-age population. The NAACP cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Bartlett vs. Strickland, which held that minorities must constitute at least 50% of a district’s voting-age population for it to be considered a majority-minority district.
Cooper added that because Black voter turnout in Mobile has historically been lower than white turnout, the percentage may need to be even higher — potentially 52% to 55%.
Supporters of the mayor’s plan note that District 5, considered a “white” district, actually has a higher African American population at 42.5% compared to 46.6% white among voting-age residents, making it as much of a toss-up as District 7.
The city held a series of public meetings across all seven districts to discuss the plan and gather citizen input. The mayor must present his final proposal to the city council by February 12. The council can approve, amend, or reject the proposal and develop its own plan, with six months to finalize the maps.