By: Roy Douglas Malonson
They say if you can’t win fairly, just move the goalposts. In the case of Texas’s 18th Congressional District—once a stronghold for Black political power—that’s exactly what’s happening. And the truth is more disturbing than many voters realize.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: Republicans can’t win this district in a fair fight. So instead of changing their message, they changed the map.
The Death of a Fair Fight
For decades, the 18th Congressional District
was a symbol of Black political strength, proudly represented by Barbara Jordan and later Sheila Jackson Lee. It was a district shaped by civil rights battles and powered by Black voters who showed up, organized, and delivered results.
But in recent years, the district has become a political battlefield where the real fight isn’t between candidates—but between voters and the map itself.
Enter: Gerrymandering.
The term “gerrymandering” sounds like something out of an old textbook, but it’s alive and well—and it’s targeting communities like ours.
In 2021, the Republican-led redistricting process sliced and diced Black voting blocs like a political butcher. According to a report from the Brennan Center for Justice, Texas Republicans intentionally manipulated boundaries to “dilute the power of Black and Latino voters,” creating a map where Black political influence is fractured, minimized, or outright erased.
In Houston alone, the impact is jarring. The once- cohesive 18th District has been redrawn to tuck in or carve out majority-Black neighborhoods, splitting up communities and muffling the collective voice.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Let’s talk data. Before the new maps were drawn: The 18th District was 61% Black and Latino combined. Post-redistricting, it dropped to just under 50%, according to the Texas Civil Rights Project. Republican candidates had lost every major race in the district for over 30 years.
But here’s the real kicker: After the lines were redrawn, Republican candidates started showing “competitive numbers” in areas where they never stood a chance.
The maps didn’t reflect shifting voter attitudes. They reflected strategic voter dilution. This isn’t democracy—it’s domination by design.
What’s Really at Stake?
This isn’t just about one district. What happens in the 18th is a test case for Black voters across America.
If Republicans—and any party, for that matter— can’t win with a fair vote, and they’re allowed to change the rules of the game instead, what does that say about our democracy?
Voting should be about persuasion, not manipulation. About showing up with a better vision, not slicing neighborhoods to silence the ones who disagree with you.
But for too long, communities of color have been treated as obstacles to overcome—not constituents to serve.
A Historical Pattern Repeating Itself
History tells us that whenever Black political power rises, there’s pushback. From Jim Crow laws to voter ID restrictions to modern-day gerrymandering, the playbook hasn’t changed—it’s just evolved.
In 1965, we needed the Voting Rights Act to prevent exactly this kind of suppression. But after the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which gutted key protections, states like Texas wasted no time drawing maps that would have been illegal just a decade ago.
Today, those maps stand. And unless they’re challenged—legally, politically, and publicly—they could be used as blueprints to silence Black voices in districts across the country.
Can They Win a Fair Fight?
The short answer? No. And they know it. That’s why they redraw maps instead of rewriting policies. It’s why they divide neighborhoods instead of uniting voters. And it’s why the fight for voting rights is far from over.
Let’s be clear: We’re not victims—we’re voters. But voters need fair maps to make their voices heard. If we allow political gamesmanship to determine our future, we’re surrendering the very power that generations before us bled to secure.
This isn’t just about one seat. It’s about whether Black voters still matter in a system increasingly rigged against them.
And if we don’t stand up now, the next district on the chopping block could be yours.
