State Senator LaVon Bracy-Davis.
State Representative RaShon Young.
By State Sen. LaVon Bracy Davis and Rep. RaShon Young
In Summary:
State Sen. LaVon Bracy Davis and Rep. RaShon Young issued a joint statement defending Congressional District 20 and warning against efforts they say weaken Black political representation through redistricting. The lawmakers linked the issue to the broader history of voting-rights struggles in Florida, including the legacy of civil rights pioneers Harry T. and Harriett V. Moore. The statement comes after Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced her candidacy for CD 20, intensifying debate over representation in one of Florida’s remaining Black opportunity districts.
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Representation is not just symbolism. It is power. It is who writes the laws, who sets the goals, and who tells your story in the room where decisions about you are made. In Florida, Black political representation has been gutted to only two Black opportunity congressional districts. Protecting that voice is not just a suggestion; it is a mandate.
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In the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling in the Callais case, the Florida Legislature passed an illegal, gerrymandered congressional map. This map attempts to reduce Black representation in the state by diluting the votes of minority communities.
To understand an early piece of this fight, we must understand the sacrifice of Harry T. and Harriett V. Moore. The Moores were educators, organizers, and pioneers of voter registration in Florida. The Moores sought to expand Black political power. In the years leading up to their murder, they traveled across the state organizing and registering voters. They believed democracy should belong to everyone, regardless of skin color.
For this work, they gave the ultimate sacrifice.
On Christmas night in 1951, a bomb was planted beneath their home in Mims, Florida, by the Ku Klux Klan. They became some of the first martyrs of the civil rights movement. A movement that successfully demanded the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. An act that led to the largest expansion of Black political representation.
History once placed bombs beneath those fighting for Black political representation. Today, instead of explosives, we are seeing erasure by inches; districts shifted, communities divided, and representation shrinking until the voice remains, but the power does not.
This is not just happening in Florida; as a result of the Supreme Court's decision to gut the Voting Rights Act, it is estimated that after this current redistricting push, over one-third of the Congressional Black Caucus will be drawn out of their seats. This is a targeted, systemic attack on Black voters around the country.
CD 20 is at the core of this fight over whether the lived experiences of Black Americans are represented in Congress.
On Friday, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced her candidacy for CD 20.
This is not a question of experience, qualifications, success, or commitment to public service. Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz has served South Florida strongly and successfully for decades.
The question before us today is very different: What responsibility do we, as candidates, have when the number of districts where Black voters have a meaningful opportunity to elect their candidate of choice has been reduced to just two districts?
For over three decades, Florida’s 20th Congressional District has been a beacon of Black representation. This was built through organizing, sacrifice, and the sustained fight of a community demanding that its lived experience be reflected in Congress. This district was created to mediate years of exclusion and discrimination.
The residents of CD 20 deserve a candidate who understands their unique needs and history, and who will fight with the same passion and understanding of the weight of their issues as they do. And although we are all democrats, elements of the plight of Black Americans can only be understood through lived experience.
We cannot fight for fair maps with one hand while undermining Black opportunity districts with the other. We urge all candidates to hear the community clearly because our party is strongest when it reflects and respects the voices of those who have carried it for generations.
Our message to candidates is resolute: defend and strengthen Black opportunity districts. This is nonnegotiable. Uphold the promise of fair representation and honor the sacrifices that built these districts.
Our message to voters is clear: educate yourselves on the candidates who best represent your interests and vote as your representation depends on it, because it does.
To register to vote or look up your voter registration information, visit: www.registertovoteflorida.gov
Key Points:
- The lawmakers argue Congressional District 20 was created to address historic underrepresentation of Black voters.
- The statement criticizes Florida’s current congressional map as an attempt to dilute minority voting power.
- The authors referenced the legacy of Harry T. and Harriett V. Moore in the fight for voting rights.
- The piece warns that Black political representation is shrinking nationally following recent redistricting efforts.
- The statement urges voters to educate themselves and participate in upcoming elections.
