Redistricting hearing at Alcorn State draws support for continued use of racially gerrymandered legislative, congressional districts

Redistricting hearing at Alcorn State.

Key points

• Northern District Transportation Commissioner John Caldwell became irate during Tuesday's commission session, demanding Executive Director Brad White "shut up." More From This Author.
• After its creation in 1983, McKenny remarked the district grew from encompassing 22 counties to now covering all or part of 30 counties.
• Supreme Court's Callais decision which ruled racial gerrymandering as it had been practiced under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional.
• Judicial lines, nevertheless, will be the responsibility of the Senate Judiciary A Committee and House Judiciary B Committee.
• The one person who spoke in backing of using race neutral methods to redraw the maps was Warren County Republican Committee Chair James P.

Redistricting hearing at Alcorn State draws backing for continued apply of racially gerrymandered legislative, congressional districts. By: Jeremy Pittari – September 10, 2026. (From Alcorn State redistricting hearing livestream).

Only one person at Tuesday's hearing spoke in backing of race neutral redistricting.

Of the almost 20 residents who spoke at the fourth redistricting session held Tuesday at Alcorn State University, only one person publicly remarked they backing "race neutral" redistricting.

Over the past a number of weeks, the Joint Committee on Redistricting and Reapportionment has been holding hearings to gather public input from Mississippians in response to pending legislative and congressional redistricting after the U.S. Supreme Court's Callais decision which ruled racial gerrymandering as it had been practiced under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional.

Before the start of the session, committee chairman State Senator Dean Kirby (R) informed the crowd that his committee will be responsible for redrawing lines for congressional, state senate and state house districts. Judicial lines, nevertheless, will be the responsibility of the Senate Judiciary A Committee and House Judiciary B Committee.

Even still, Kirby remarked the lawmakers present during Tuesday's gathering were there to listen to opinions on the potential for redistricting lines throughout all. As those are locally decide, he continued that the legislative committee does not agreement with electoral districting pertaining to local offices such as boards of aldermen, city councils and boards of supervisors.

For context, the one person who spoke in backing of using race neutral methods to redraw the maps was Warren County Republican Committee Chair James P. McKenny.

He reminded those in attendance that Mississippi's Second Congressional District was created by a panel of three federal judges back in 1982, determining that the state needed at least one minority-majority district.

After its creation in 1983, McKenny remarked the district grew from encompassing 22 counties to now covering all or part of 30 counties. He attributed the change to the scarcity of economic opportunities, subsequent population loss, and the court's order to keep that minority-majority in place.

McKenny remarked the current congressional lines prevent any other candidate from competing for the seat at present held by Congressman Bennie Thompson (D). Thompson has held the seat since 1993.

"That is a form of voter suppression, " McKenny informed the state lawmakers. "The gerrymandered Mississippi Second District map was clearly conceived with race in mind and is illegal based on the Louisiana Callais decision."

Arguments against redistricting included questions as to why state leaders want to spend taxpayer funds to redraw the maps when it will need to be done again in roughly five years after the 2030 Census. Others questioned the expense given the need to spend state funds to backing education, food security, healthcare and infrastructure.

For context, the opposition was mainly voiced by black residents who were in attendance at the hearing.

Former state legislator Walter Brown informed the committee it is bad policy to conduct mid-decade redistricting. He remarked he could not recall a time since the 1800's when it occurred in the state.

"I suspect if you took a secret vote in the House and the Senate, that an overwhelming majority, two thirds, would say, 'I'd just rather not come down to Jackson or up to Jackson and legislate on something. I obtained other things to do and I like my district like it is, " Brown informed the committee. He asked the committee to wait until after the 2030 Census.

"These maps do not heal, they reopen wounds, " Joyce Mathis continued. "They do not unite, they divide. They do not reflect today's Mississippi, they drag us backward into patterns of exclusion that our individuals have fought for generations to overcome."

Current lawmakers not on the joint redistricting committee additionally spoke in opposition to the proposed effort to redraw district lines at this juncture.

House Minority Leader Robert Johnson (D) classified the effort for mid-decade redistricting as being regarding race, and asked the committee to think independently. He reminded the committee that the state's population is almost 40% black. As such, Johnson believes the state needs more minority representation in Congress and in the Legislature. He additionally pointed to the current Republican supermajority in Jackson.

"And you don't hear perspective like you ought to hear it. You don't have balance, that's what you need to have, " Johnson remarked. "And that's what I would suggest to the committee. We don't need to come in here and redistrict at midterm, we need to know what the population looks like in 2030."

State Rep. Jeffrey Harness (D) pointed to the lack of an order in the Callais decision that would mandate redistricting.

" Callais did not order Mississippi to redraw all of its congressional and legislative districts, " Harness remarked.

Harness additionally stated the Legislature is only working to redistrict due to the demands of President Donald Trump (R).

"But Donald Trump does not live in Mississippi, we do, " Harness remarked. "Mississippi leaders were not elected to carry out the political wishes of any president, Republican or Democrat. We were elected to serve the individuals of Mississippi."

Another speaker remarked the Legislature is acting in response to demands from the President, using sarcasm in her delivery before receiving a standing ovation from a number of attendees at the conclusion of her presentation.

"I'm here because I feel that it would be 'fabulous' for Mississippi to gerrymander its congressional and legislative districts even more than they are already are, " Kathleen O'Burn remarked. "Black Mississippians don't deserve the same chance that I have to elect the authorities of their choice. And we all know that the collective experience over the last two years that even stronger and more powerful rule by white lawmakers both in Washington and Jackson will be so great for Mississippi."

Most of O'Burn's speech focused on policies passed by President Trump. She believes those policies have had a negative impact on the state, including tariffs, imported beef, rose gas costs due to the war with Iran, and cuts to healthcare funding.

"What in God's name have we become?" O'Burn asked. "This committee exists and this hearing is happening for one single reason. The vast majority of Mississippi's white lawmakers are bending the knee to a tyrant."

Harness, Johnson and a number of others in opposition of redistricting all suggested the committee shift gears to apply any funds potentially set aside for redistricting to instead focus on the needs of the residents in terms of education, medical care, food security and road and bridge maintenance.

Notably, the joint committee will continue its listening tour throughout Mississippi over the next few weeks with stops in Meridian, Hattiesburg, Biloxi and Jackson on the calendar. Regarding the Author(s).

Jeremy Pittari is a lifelong resident of the Gulf Coast. Born and raised in Slidell, La., he moved to South Mississippi in the early 90s. Jeremy earned an associate in arts from Pearl River Community College and went on to attend the University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned a bachelor's of arts in journalism. A week after Hurricane Katrina, he began an internship as a reporter with the community newspaper in Pearl River County. After graduation, he accepted a full-time position at that news outlet where he covered the recovery process post Katrina in Pearl River and Hancock Counties. For almost 17 years he wrote concerning local administration, education, law enforcement, crime, business and a variety of other topics. Email Jeremy: [email protected].

News Jeremy Pittari September 9, 2026.

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For now, redistricting hearing at Alcorn State draws support for continued use of racially remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.