With a gun to their heads, the Louisiana legislature finally redrew the state’s Congressional map. African Americans comprise over 33% of the population. Now Louisiana finally has a second Black Congressional district. Only after a federal judge promised to draw the district, did the legislature finally come up with a new district. The newly elected and super conservative governor Jeff Landry’s first order of business was to create the new “Black” district.
2nd Black District
You might remember the legislature held a statewide listening tour to see what the citizens thought about forming a new district. Led by then Senator Sharon Hewitt, the committee decided the discriminatory old map with only one majority black district was in the senator’s words a “good and right thing”. The super majority Republican legislature backed the only one “Black” district plan. In the face of judicial scrutiny, the legislature played the old delay and deny game. Ultimately they could never agree on anything other than one majority minority district.
Related: Gerrymandering the new grandfather clause
But federal judge Shelley Dick threatened to draw the new map herself. Then in stepped new governor Jeff Landry. He had a political axe to grind. And he had no control over the map that Judge Dick would draw. So his political adversary and moderate Republican Garrett Graves was the sacrificial lamb. Graves committed many mortal sins in the eyes of the conservative wing of the state’s Republican party. He criticized then President Donald Trump. Graves said Trump’s actions prior to the riot was wrong. Graves also did not say the election was stolen. The final straw was Graves endorsing Steven Waguespack’s for governor against Landry.
RINO Graves lost his seat
Might as well have a Black Democrat then. So, Landry backed a map that eliminated Graves district. Where do moderate Republicans go to die? Will Graves back one of the new African Americans and further alienate himself? A former staffer for David Vitter, Graves political future is murky at best. His loos is the state’s gain.
A new and more realistic congressional delegation will represent Louisiana going forward. Black or white, rich or poor, Democrat or Republican, every Louisianian finally gets a true look at what democracy looks like.
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of Executive Appraisers Louisiana, an MBE-certified real estate appraisal firm, and EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu
Publisher — Black Source Media
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of Executive Appraisers Louisiana, an MBE-certified real estate appraisal firm, and EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu