The Garifuna Experience Podcast

Episode 51: The Numbers of Erasure: 70 Million Voices Under Threat

• Jose Francisco Avila • Episode 51

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The landscape of American democracy shifted fundamentally in April 2026. With the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, the primary shield against discriminatory redistricting—Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), has been functionally dismantled.

But this isn't just a "Southern issue."

In this episode, host José Francisco Ávila breaks down why the "gutting" of the VRA is a direct threat to the Garifuna diaspora and minority communities from the Bronx to the Bayou. We dive into the "Numbers of Erasure"—revealing why 70 million eligible voters and nearly 30% of the Congressional Black Caucus are now in the crosshairs of political gerrymandering.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • The New York Connection: Why "smug" New Yorkers shouldn't ignore this ruling, and a look back at the "political trickery" that once required federal oversight in Brooklyn and the Bronx.
  • The Shirley Chisholm Legacy: How the VRA paved the way for the first Black woman in Congress, and how those same districts are now at risk.
  • Voices of Defiance: Hard-hitting reactions from leaders at NALEO, UnidosUS, and LULAC.
  • The 2026 Action Plan: How we can fight back through state-level legislation and local vigilance at the ballot box.

As we approach the 2026 midterms, the message is clear: We will not be silenced by judicial fiat. Our vote is our voice, and our voice is our power.

Resources:

Books by José Francisco Ávila

·       Pan-Garifuna Afro-Latino Power of Pride:: My Quest for Racial, Ancestral, Ethnic and Cultural Identity

Soundtrack

HOST: Mabuiga. Welcome back to The Garifuna Experience Podcast. I’m your host, José Francisco Ávila.

Today, we have to talk about a seismic shift in our democracy. In April 2026, the Supreme Court handed down a 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais. By functionally dismantling Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the Court hasn't just moved a few lines on a map; they have stripped away the primary shield that Black and Latino voters use to fight discriminatory redistricting.

Now, many of you might hear "Louisiana" and think this is just a Southern issue. But the ripples of Callais are hitting us right here in New York and across the Garifuna diaspora. We are looking at a calculated effort to erase decades of progress in Black and Latino political representation.

[THE STAKES BY THE NUMBERS]

HOST: Let’s look at the cold, hard numbers. When we talk about "erasure," here is what the data from groups like UnidosUS and The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) tells us is at stake in this 2026 election cycle:

  • 70 Million: That is the combined number of Black and Latino eligible voters whose political power was just weakened.
  • 36.2 Million: Latino eligible voters who now face a massive uphill battle just to ensure their maps are fair.
  • 14.7%: That’s the Latino share of the American electorate. They are the second-largest voting-age group in this country.
  • The Congress: Analysts project that 19 minority-held seats are now on the chopping block. That includes roughly 11% of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a staggering 30% of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Think about that. One court ruling could potentially wipe out nearly a third of Black representation in Washington.

[NEW YORK: NO STATE IS IMMUNE]

HOST: Don’t let "Smug New York" fool you. Columnist Errol Louis recently reminded us that New York has a long, ugly history of "political trickery." Without the Voting Rights Act, our homegrown "tricksters" are officially off the leash.

History shows us that progress here wasn’t a gift—it was a fight won through the Voting Rights Act:

  • In 1958, it took a lawsuit by a Puerto Rican from the Bronx, Jose Camacho, to stop the state from printing election materials in English only.
  • In 1967, the case Cooper v. Power stopped the "cracking" of Bedford-Stuyvesant. Before that, the neighborhood was sliced up into white-majority districts to dilute Black power. Once that was fixed? We saw Shirley Chisholm become the first Black woman elected to Congress.

But even recently, in 2016, over 100,000 New Yorkers, mostly Latino, were "mistakenly" purged from the rolls.

The New York state constitution explicitly prohibits partisan gerrymandering. But that didn’t stop Democrats in 2022, when they adopted a congressional map that was later ruled unconstitutional for that very reason.

 If they did that with federal oversight, imagine what happens now that the guardrails are gone.

[VOICES OF DEFIANCE]

HOST: The reaction has been swift. Advocacy groups have responded with a mixture of condemnation and a call to arms for the 2026 midterms.

Erica Bernal-Martinez, CEO of The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) said,  “This ruling makes it significantly harder to protect voters of color from racial discrimination and allows the dilution of representation through partisan gerrymandering, stripping Black and Latino communities of their meaningful opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.” 

LULAC CEO Juan Proaño didn’t mince words either he called the ruling a "day of shame," warning that states like Texas and Florida will likely move to "crack" the Rio Grande Valley and dilute Puerto Rican communities.

Maria Teresa Kumar, President of Voto Latino,  “Today’s decision is a devastating blow to Black and Latino communities and to the fundamental promise of American democracy.” 

“This ruling makes it significantly harder to protect voters of color from racial discrimination and allows the dilution of representation through partisan gerrymandering, stripping Black and Latino communities of their meaningful opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.”

Even here in New York, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is mobilizing. 

We’re seeing a unified front because we know that when they come for one of us, they come for all of us.

[THE PATH FORWARD]

HOST: So, where do we go from here? In the words of Justice Thurgood Marshall, this is our democracy. We must make it, protect it, and pass it on.

The fight for a multiracial democracy now shifts from the Supreme Court to the states and the ballot box. Stacey Abrams reminds us that "we have always moved forward when people organized, persisted, and refused to back down."

The "Action Plan for 2026" is clear:

  1. Mobilize: Check your voter registration status. Vote in the upcoming New York Primary Election on June 23, U.S. House of Representatives will be on the ballot.  Use the hashtag #GarifunaVote.
  2. Election Reminders: Subscribe to our newsletter and get updates in your inbox about events andnotifications about upcoming local, state, and federal elections. These reminders include deadlines for registration and mail-in ballot requests.
  3. Local Vigilance: Two-thirds of Section 2 litigation historically occurs at the local level. Communities must watch school boards and city councils for the return of "at-large" schemes that dilute minority votes.We have to watch those maps like hawks.

As we approach the 2026 Midterm elections, the message from advocates is clear: Latinos and African Americans are not going to be silenced by judicial fiat. The goal remains ensuring that every American can cast a ballot, and find true representation in the halls of power.

[OUTRO]

HOST: That wraps up another critical episode of The Garifuna Experience Podcast.

Thank you for listening. Our vote is our voice, and our voice is our power. Remember: The future of the Garifuna people is in our hands.

Until next time, stay united, stay proud. Sungubei Lidan Aban. Ayo!

HOST: Find new episodes of The Garifuna Experience Podcast every Tuesday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your shows. 

Please rate and review, it helps our history and our struggle reach the world.

Soundtrack

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José Francisco Ávila

Host