Texas lawmakers have declared war on democracy. With maps hand-picked and backed by Donald Trump, they are silencing Black and Brown communities to lock in Republican power for the next decade.

Let’s call this what it is: Racial Gerrymandering Designed To Uphold White Supremacy.

This tactic is as old as America itself. The word “gerrymander” was coined in 1812, but its most violent uses came after Reconstruction, when Southern states drew maps to destroy the political power of newly freed Black citizens. Districts were carved to make sure Black voices were scattered, drowned out, or contained. Alongside poll taxes and literacy tests, gerrymandering became another weapon to deny Black power. And when the Voting Rights Act of 1965 struck down the most blatant forms of suppression, the system adapted. Partisan gerrymandering replaced explicitly racial maps, but the effect was the same: communities of color stripped of real representation.Texas is carrying that torch forward today. Despite explosive growth in Black, Latino, and Asian communities, the state legislature is drawing lines to preserve white Republican control. This isn’t about “partisan advantage.” It’s about maintaining a racial hierarchy at the ballot box. And Trump is at the center of it. He knows that a multiracial democracy is a direct threat to his hold on power. That’s why he cheers these maps on. That’s why he attacks “wokeness” — code for any recognition of systemic racism, equity, or cultural change. His war on “woke” isn’t cultural banter; it’s political strategy. By demonizing racial consciousness, Trump justifies silencing racially diverse voters. Gerrymandering is the policy arm of his anti-woke crusade: redraw the lines until the future is erased.

This tactic is as old as America itself. The word “gerrymander” was coined in 1812, but its most violent uses came after Reconstruction, when Southern states drew maps to destroy the political power of newly freed Black citizens. Districts were carved to make sure Black voices were scattered, drowned out, or contained. Alongside poll taxes and literacy tests, gerrymandering became another weapon to deny Black power. And when the Voting Rights Act of 1965 struck down the most blatant forms of suppression, the system adapted. Partisan gerrymandering replaced explicitly racial maps, but the effect was the same: communities of color stripped of real representation.

Texas is carrying that torch forward today. Despite explosive growth in Black, Latino, and Asian communities, the state legislature is drawing lines to preserve white Republican control. This isn’t about “partisan advantage.” It’s about maintaining a racial hierarchy at the ballot box.

And Trump is at the center of it. He knows that a multiracial democracy is a direct threat to his hold on power. That’s why he cheers these maps on. That’s why he attacks “wokeness” — code for any recognition of systemic racism, equity, or cultural change. His war on “woke” isn’t cultural banter; it’s political strategy. By demonizing racial consciousness, Trump justifies silencing racially diverse voters. Gerrymandering is the policy arm of his anti-woke crusade: redraw the lines until the future is erased.

This matters far beyond Texas. The state sends 38 members to the U.S. House. If Trump can secure those seats through map manipulation, he tightens his grip on Congress — no matter what the voters want. That means fewer voices pushing for racial justice, climate action, healthcare, reproductive freedom, or immigrant rights. It means entrenching Trumpism as the governing ideology of America.

So, what do we do?

Blue states cannot sit on the sidelines. If you believe in democracy, if you believe in racial justice, then Texas is your fight, too.

We must:

Fund and support Texas organizers who are leading the legal and grassroots battle against these maps

Amplify the stories of communities robbed of their power — because this isn’t about abstract lines on paper, it’s about silenced families and futures.

Push for federal voting rights protections that stop redistricting abuse in its tracks.
Name the fight clearly: gerrymandering is racial violence in slow motion.
Trump and his allies want us to see this as “politics as usual.” But there is nothing usual about deliberately dismantling democracy to preserve white minority rule. Texas is simply the frontline of a national struggle.

If we fail to act, Trump wins — not because he persuaded the majority, but because the system was rigged in his favor. That is not democracy. That is authoritarianism in red, white, and blue. Blue states: don’t look away. Stand with folks in Texas. Because when Black and Brown voters are silenced there, justice is silenced everywhere.