RALEIGH, NC – As North Carolina lawmakers prepare to take up gerrymandered maps that would directly attack the state’s historic Black Belt congressional district, a coalition of statewide voting rights advocates will hold a virtual press conference on Monday, October 20, 2025, demanding an end to racist redistricting schemes.
The proposed congressional map could hand Republicans nearly 80% of North Carolina’s congressional delegation by ripping apart Congressional District 1 (CD1), the state’s most prominent Black opportunity district located in eastern North Carolina. The map specifically undermines Black Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis and the voters who elected him, while making the adjoining district safer for white Republican Rep. Greg Murphy in Congressional District 3.
The CD1 gerrymander is just lawmakers’ latest attempt in a handful of redraws since the last census to silence voters of color by eliminating the state’s only swing district. As it stands, corrupt politicians plan to ram the maps through the legislature with limited public input the same week it will be debated.
“This gerrymander is a direct attack on our Black communities, with maps drawn in secret to silence our voices and steal our power. Our ancestors sacrificed too much for us to let politicians dismantle their legacy in backroom deals,” said Marques Thompson, Organizing Director for Democracy North Carolina.
“North Carolinians deserve leaders who put people first. Instead of focusing on passing a state budget, repairing our teacher shortage, and investing in schools and infrastructure, state leaders are once again redrawing our congressional districts for political advantage,” said Melissa Price Kromm, North Carolina For The People.
WHAT: Press Conference “Protect Black Voting Power: We are all CD1”
WHEN: Monday, October 20, 2025, at 2:00 PM ET
WHERE: Virtual Zoom Conference → https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81449430944
WHO: Statewide voting rights coalition members including:
- Sailor Jones, Deputy Director, Common Cause NC
- Marques Thompson, Organizing Director, Democracy NC
- Shruti Parikh, Director of Education & Political Engagement, NC Asian Americans Together
- Liz Barber, Director of Policy and Advocacy, ACLU NC
- Hasani Mitchell, Democracy & Economy Coordinator, NC Black Alliance
- Melissa Price Kromm, Executive Director, NC For The People
- Kat Roblez, Senior Voting Rights Counsel & Litigation Manager, Forward Justice