Rep. Shomari Figures Sounds the Alarm as AL Faces a 1950s Style Erasure of Black Power

Alabama has long been a primary battleground for the American vote, and the latest skirmish in the halls of the Supreme Court has placed Black political power back in the crosshairs. Following a directive from the high court for a lower court to reconsider the map that created Alabama’s second majority-Black district, the state stands at a democratic crossroads.

Writer Cody Short sat down with Representative Shomari Figures (D-AL) to discuss the legal “ping-pong” being played with his constituents’ voices, the eroding protections of the Voting Rights Act, and why he believes the fight for representation is a matter of life and death for Alabama’s policy future.

Short: Representative Figures, thank you for joining us. We’re looking at a situation where the Supreme Court has directed a lower court to reconsider the very voting map that created your majority-Black district. What was your immediate reaction to this news?

Rep. Shomari Figures: It’s deeply disappointing, but unfortunately, not entirely surprising given the current climate. Given the aggressive stance of Republicans, we saw the writing on the wall, especially following the Louisiana decision. This directive essentially sets the stage for Alabama to go back to the 1950s and ’60s in terms of Black political representation in the state. We fought incredibly hard to ensure that Black voters in Alabama had a second congressional district where their voices could actually be heard. Seeing that progress being placed back on the chopping block is a blow to the democratic process. Nevertheless, we’re still very encouraged and inspired by the people, the activists and the voters we’ve seen around the country, especially in the state of Alabama, who have been making their voices heard.

Short: This comes on the heels of the Court’s ruling, which significantly weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. How do these two events connect in your view?

Figures: They are inextricably linked. Section 2 was the central safeguard we had against redistricting that disenfranchises people based on race. Once you gut that protection, you embolden those who want to dilute the Black vote. What we are seeing now are those efforts “on steroids.” It’s a coordinated attempt to roll back the clock on the voting power that Black Alabamians have spent years in court fighting to secure.

Short: If Black people’s districts are being diluted or completely eliminated once these new maps are implemented, some are going to wonder if there is any point in voting at all. What would you say to those people?

Figures: You still have to get out and make your voices heard. As bad as this is, the country has seen much darker days. We have seen days when people of color had to put their lives and their well-being at risk as their ability to register to vote and to actively go out and vote has been suppressed. Fortunately for us, we have a roadmap to help us get out of it. We have to organize and reach as many people as possible on every step of the socioeconomic ladder.  

Short: The timing is particularly notable, coming just before major election cycles. What does this mean for the voters in your district who just elected you to represent them?

Figures: It creates a sense of instability and intended confusion. It tells those voters that their representation is conditional and that the highest court in the land is willing to entertain maps that would effectively eliminate their seat at the table. If this map is overturned, we go back to a state where Black residents—who make up nearly a third of the population in the state of Alabama—are once again relegated to a single district, silenced by design. They will effectively have zero opportunities in the end because Republicans will come for the other seat soon as well.

The Root: You mentioned that while Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act has been weakened, it wasn’t the only tool in your legal arsenal. Can you elaborate on the other protections at play?

Figures: Exactly. While the focus is often on Section 2, our case also rested on an Equal Protection finding—that the state of Alabama intentionally discriminated against Black voters when drawing these maps after the 2020 census. The facts of that discrimination haven’t changed. Even if one part of the law is under fire, the core truth that these districts were drawn to dilute Black voices remains. We are confident that when the lower courts look at the facts again, they will see the same intentional bias that three Republican-appointed judges found the first time.

The Root: Beyond the legal jargon, what is actually at stake for the average person living in Alabama’s 2nd District?

Figures: It’s about perspective and urgency. When you have elected officials who don’t share the lived experiences of a large segment of the population, they don’t approach issues—whether it’s healthcare, infrastructure, or economic opportunity—with the same sense of priority. Representation isn’t just a box to check; it changes the actual policy that comes out of Washington. If you take away these districts, you take away a specific, necessary voice for millions of Black and Latino Americans.

Short: This battle has been going on for years. Is there a sense of fatigue, or is the resolve still there?

Figures: It’s a setback, no doubt, but the Supreme Court didn’t dismiss the case entirely. It’s still being litigated. I ran for this office to represent all of Alabama and to use my experience to better this state. We aren’t backing down now just because the road got a little rockier. This isn’t just about one election cycle; it’s about the next decade of representation.

Short: With the legal landscape shifting so rapidly, what is the message to the community and the organizers who have been on the ground for years?

Figures: The message is simple: We cannot be deterred. We have to stay in the fight. These rulings are designed to make us feel like the battle is over or that the system is too rigged to challenge, but that is exactly when we need to be most vocal. We’ve been here before, and we know how to organize through these setbacks.