Tuskegee, a rural city in Alabama with a population of less than 9,000 people, is facing uncertainty following a US Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act. The ruling has allowed Republican-led states to redraw congressional maps, potentially erasing majority-black districts. This could lead to the loss of the congressional seat held by Shomari Figures, the first black person to represent Tuskegee in Congress in modern history.
Figures was elected in 2024 and has since secured $1m in federal funding to build a civic centre in Tuskegee, which will serve as a fallout shelter and house the city's police department and fire department. However, with the changes to the congressional map, Figures now finds himself defending a redrawn, white-majority seat. Research suggests that roughly 83% of black voters support the Democratic Party, while non-Hispanic white voters are more likely to lean Republican.
Tuskegee Mayor Chris Lee has expressed concerns that if Figures loses his seat, the community will lose access to critical federal funding. 'All of our issues, we do depend on federal funding,' Lee said. 'It's very important that we have someone who has our back.'
The city of Tuskegee has a history of relying on federal funding, with nearly one in three residents living in poverty. The fire department, where many residents go for medical care, is not equipped to handle emergency situations. Captain Dondrell Hopson has described treating severe injuries, including bullet wounds, due to the lack of proper medical facilities.
The US Supreme Court's ruling has sparked concerns that the community will be left behind if Figures loses his seat. 'I hate that this happened, especially this early,' Mayor Lee said. 'We're really just at the tip of the iceberg of seeing the real impact.'
The changes to the congressional map are part of a larger effort by Republican-led states to redraw districts in their favour. This has raised concerns about the impact on local communities, particularly those that rely heavily on federal funding.