Rep. Cleo Fields (D-LA) participates in a Congressional Black Caucus news conference regarding the Supreme Court decision to block an electoral map that had given Louisiana a second Black-majority U.S. congressional district, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 29, 2026. REUTERS

Black Americans’ racial identity has been wielded as a weapon in our politics for decades, used either as a shield to protect powerful people or as a cudgel to beat their opponents.

Democrats have specialized in this warfare, accusing Republicans of racial discrimination to reclaim leverage any time they’re in a losing position.

We saw it once again Wednesday, when the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map , ruling that it had unconstitutionally created a second majority-black district.

The map was imposed by a federal judge in 2024 to satisfy the federal Voting Rights Act.

Immediately, Louisiana Democrats and national civil-rights organizations clamored that the ruling will disenfranchise black…