Bishop William Barber Launches Legal Fight Over Gerrymandering

October 26, 2025

Bishop William J. Barber II, a Yale theologian and civil rights leader, has announced a comprehensive campaign to challenge North Carolina's newly approved congressional redistricting map that eliminates a Black congressional district. Barber characterizes the Republican-led gerrymandering effort as "surgical racism" designed to secure more GOP House seats and advance President Trump's policy agenda, including healthcare cuts and blocking minimum wage increases.

Who is affected

North Carolina voters, particularly Black residents losing congressional representation
Bishop William J. Barber II and his organization Repairers of the Breach
Forward Justice (nonprofit organization)
North Carolina Republicans holding state legislature supermajority
House Republicans seeking to maintain congressional control
Poor and vulnerable populations potentially losing healthcare and social safety net access
The Moral Mondays movement members and organizers
Dr. Scott Crawford and Mississippi organizers

What action is being taken

Barber is leading a statewide campaign against the redistricting map
A lawsuit is being prepared (though not yet finalized)
Prayer vigils and peaceful sit-ins are being conducted at statehouses in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia
Republicans are pursuing redistricting efforts in North Carolina and two other states

Why it matters

This redistricting effort represents a significant threat to democratic representation and voting rights, particularly for Black communities in North Carolina. By eliminating a Black congressional district through gerrymandering, the Republican-controlled legislature is strategically increasing GOP power in Washington to advance President Trump's policy agenda. The consequences extend beyond representation to affect tangible issues like healthcare access, minimum wage opportunities, and social safety net programs that impact vulnerable populations. Barber frames this as a constitutional violation since redistricting should only occur every ten years, and he characterizes it as a pivotal civil rights moment comparable to the Selma voting rights struggle, highlighting how political manipulation of districts can systematically disenfranchise communities and undermine the will of the people.

What's next

A Mass Moral Fusion Meeting is scheduled for November 2, where additional details about the anti-gerrymandering campaign will be disclosed
A lawsuit will be filed once finalized (details withheld until completion)
Continued fighting in courts, streets, and at the ballot box

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle