Black Voters Are Not Pawns: Why the Fight Over Florida’s District 16 Matters to Us All

Black Voters Are Not Pawns: Why the Fight Over Florida’s District 16 Matters to Us All (Op-Ed)

By Geveryl Robinson, Contributor

Let’s be clear: what’s happening with Florida Senate District 16 is not just about geography; it’s about power. And once again, Black voters are the ones being played.

On June 9, a federal trial begins in Tampa over whether Florida lawmakers intentionally manipulated District 16 to dilute Black political power. The claim is simple and chilling: that our community was packed into a strangely drawn district across Tampa and St. Petersburg, not to empower us, but to contain us.

So, let’s talk about what’s going on with this case. The plaintiffs in this case — Keto Nord Hodges, Meiko Seymour, Jarvis El Amin, and Jacqueline Azis — are suing Ben Albritton and Cord Byrd, the President of Florida’s Senate and Florida’s Secretary of State, stating that racially gerrymandering of Districts 16 and 18 violates the state’s Equal Protection Clause.

In addition, the plaintiffs initially contended that the “enacted plan ‘unjustifiably’ packs Black voters into District 16 that would otherwise be in District 18” — a decision that reduces the “influence” of Black voters in District 18.

Judges have ultimately refused to hear the gerrymandering case against District 18, saying the plaintiffs could not provide “neither direct nor circumstantial evidence of race-based intentions to support their racial-gerrymandering claim as to District 18. As such, no genuine dispute of material fact exists to support their claim that the legislature racially gerrymandered that district,” and the judges chose to side with the defendants.

They did, however, find there was cause to hear the case against District 16.

See, District 16 stretches across Hillsborough and Pinellas counties but lacks any physical connection: no bridge and no continuous community. What ties it together, apparently, is the dense concentration of Black voters. Instead of ensuring fair representation, the state seems to have decided to “pack” us into one district, thereby reducing our collective impact in surrounding areas. That’s not representation; that’s restriction.

Let’s not forget, redistricting isn’t just about drawing lines on a map; it’s about drawing the boundaries of opportunity, such as access to funding, responsive leadership, and political power. When our votes are diluted or segregated into oddly shaped districts, so too are our voices in the rooms where decisions are made.

The plaintiffs who are represented by the ACLU of Florida and NYU’s Civil Rights & Racial Justice Clinic are saying what many of us have known for decades: these maps are not neutral. Rather, the maps are strategic tools used to maintain control. This lawsuit is a demand for accountability, and it’s about time.

Senator Darryl Rouson, who currently represents District 16, is a Democrat. But this isn’t about party politics. It’s about principles. When districts are drawn to manipulate racial demographics regardless of political affiliation, it violates the very foundation of the 14th Amendment’s promise of equal protection.

We should all be paying attention because if they can do it in Tampa and St. Pete, they can do it in Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, and anywhere else Black communities are becoming too politically powerful for comfort. So, although this case may seem local, its implications are national. It’s about the same old game of gerrymandering, where politicians pick their voters instead of voters picking their leaders. And when those voters are Black, the game has always been rigged a little differently.

That’s why this trial is our business. The outcome could force lawmakers to redraw maps, not just in Florida, but also in other states as well. It’s about reclaiming our power, our agency, and our right to fair representation.

Now is not the time to be silent or disengaged. Now is the time to organize, educate, and show up because Black political power was never given; it was fought for. And we’re still fighting.

Simply put, this is more than a court case. This is a call to action.

Read the case here.