1. United States
2. Tenn.
3. Letter

Dear Governor Lee and Members of the Tennessee General Assembly, Call this what it is: you are attempting to erase Black political representation from Congress because the President told you to. That is not an accusation. It is the documented record. Sen. Marsha Blackburn did not hide it. She posted a map of nine Republican congressional districts on social media and wrote that redrawing Memphis is “essential to cement Trump’s agenda.” President Trump confirmed he called you personally, Governor Lee, and said you would “work hard” to eliminate District 9. This special session was not born from a policy need. It was ordered from Washington and executed in Nashville. District 9 is a majority-Black district representing Tennessee’s largest city. Splitting it apart would end Black Tennesseans’ ability to elect a representative of their choosing in Congress. The Tennessee Equity Alliance did not mince words: “They are deliberately trying to dilute Black voting power.” When that is the plain-language conclusion of civic leaders on the ground, elected officials do not get to call this a routine redistricting review. You already did this to Nashville in 2022. You cracked it across three districts. You went from a 7-2 delegation to 8-1. And not one of those three new Republican representatives bothered to open an office in the city they now claim to represent. Memphis is watching what happened to Nashville and knows exactly what comes next. Nonpartisan analysis is clear: if Tennessee’s maps were drawn fairly, Democrats would hold two or three of the nine congressional seats. Republicans hold eight. Now you want all nine, three months before the August 6 primary, after qualifying has closed and campaigns are already running. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, reviewed the same Supreme Court ruling and refused to act mid-cycle. He said voters deserve stability. You should find the courage to say the same. This is wrong. It is being done in plain sight. And the people of Memphis will not forget who voted for it.