Terri Sewell releases statement following redistricting legislation

Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) has released a statement in the wake of the Alabama Legislature setting new primary election dates that she said "erases" black representation. 

See below for the statement: 

“This is a dark day for the State of Alabama. The Foot Soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement fought, bled, and died to overturn Jim Crow in the South and secure Black representation in government. Today, Republicans in the Alabama State House passed legislation to erase their legacy and suppress the voices of Black Alabamians.

“To be clear, the State of Alabama remains under a federal court injunction which prevents the state from redistricting until 2030. The Supreme Court has yet to rule on lifting the injunction. However, Alabama Republicans’ rush to suppress Black representation while the injunction remains demonstrates the dire need for federal protections for minority voters.

“We will not stand by quietly while Alabama Republicans try to erase the progress secured by the Civil Rights Movement and take our state back to the era of Jim Crow. The people of Alabama must stand up, speak out, and get out to the polls. If the courts and our state legislature won't protect the rights of Black and minority voters, then we must organize, mobilize, and vote like our lives depend on it. We must reaffirm, through action, that every American deserves a voice in our democracy.”