The APR news team spent nine months investigating issues surrounding the new Congressional District 2. APR Gulf coast correspondent Lynn Oldshue has the story on a 1960 U.S. Supreme Court that Constitutionally enshrined black voting rights years before the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, or even the new District 2.
APR’s new documentary “…a U.S. House seat, if you can keep it” airs Friday night at 7 p.m. on Alabama Public Radio.
The City of Montgomery has a scheduled visit today by the Minority Leader of the U.S. House. Hakeem Jeffries is in Alabama to campaign for the state’s newly redrawn Congressional seat. Former Attorney General Eric Holder was in Mobile to support Shomari Figures’ bid for District two. This follows the Montgomery visit of Texas U.S. House member Jasmine Crockett and Alabama Representative Terri Sewell. Figures is competing with Republican Caroleene Dobson who has the endorsements of Governor Kay Ivey and former Presidential hopeful Vivek Ramswamy. While the campaign wraps up, the APR news team is preparing for the premiere of its new documentary, "...a U.S. House Seat, if you can keep it" Friday night at seven p.m.
The APR news team spent nine months investigating issues related to the new District 2 seat in Congress.
“Oh, it's going to be something new. It's definitely going to be something new,” said Jordan Stallworth. He's African American and a voter in rural Alabama, and he's talking about this.
“I was shocked that the Milligan case was a five, four decision in favor of fair representation,” said Terri Sewell. She's Alabama's only Democrat in the US House, and she's African American too. If a black voter in Alabama needs help and their house member is a white Republican, Sewell typically gets the phone call one of her staff puts it this way.
“I think that it is a matter of we trust you more,” said Robin Gulley.
Voters in the 13 mostly rural counties in Alabama's new district, two will cast ballots for the very first time. Behind the scenes, Republican lawmakers are going back to court to flip the district back to the GOP.
“I want to say, not nervous at all,” said plaintiff Shalela Dowdy. “You know, I'm concerned because we're still in litigation. So you never know.”
If you think the Supreme Court fight that created the new district two is a one of a kind event in this part of Alabama. It's not.
“This is a class action instituted by 12 Negroes who are former residents in the city of Tuskegee, Alabama,” began attorney Fred Gray in his 1960 arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court.
We'll look back at the landmark case go million versus Lightfoot that established constitutional protections for black voters back in 1960 that's before the Voting Rights Act.
“The action originated in the Federal District Court for the middle District of Alabama,” Gray continued,
The APR news team spent the year investigating issues of importance to voters in district two. ,
“It was a freak accident,” said Caila Savage of Citronelle, Alabama in District 2. “She was rolling down the hill and her arm snapped in half.”
Better rural health care for one.
“I think about an hour, maybe two hours, we had to wait on the ambulance to get to the hospital. Then it was an hour ambulance ride to get her, I mean, and this is my five year old who has her arm snapped in half, having to wait all this. You know it was, it was crazy,” recalled Savage.
And African American small business owners wonder what this new house member will do for them.
“Send us information. Send us some knowledgeable incentives. Send us some grants. Just think about us,” said Carol Banks of Monroeville.
Join the APR news team for our program. We call "...a US House seat, if you can keep it." Friday night at 7 pm on Alabama Public Radio.
