Shreveport approves voter redistricting map with five majority black voting districts

The Shreveport City Council selected a voter redistricting map that creates five majority-black voting districts in Shreveport, leaving two to be majority white.

The creator of the proposed maps, demographer and LSUS professor Gary Joiner, suggested the council choose a map that would have created three majority-black districts, three majority-white districts and one "swing" district.

Instead, the map selected by the council at their Tuesday meeting reflects the city's majority-black status. According to the 2020 census, Shreveport's population is 57 percent black and 37 percent white.

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Councilmen John Nickelson and Grayson Boucher tried to urge the council toward a map that would create four majority-black districts, two majority-white districts and one "swing" district. Nickelson and Boucher, along with Councilwoman LeVette Fuller, voted against the map that was ultimately picked.

Fuller voted against that map because it separated the Riverfront from the rest of Downtown Shreveport.

In the map that was selected, labeled "9B," district E is still considered a swing district because of the near 50-50 split between white and black residents, although the district still has a majority black population. District E is currently represented by Councilman Alan Jackson although the last person elected by District E constituents was the late James Flurry.

Kendrick Dante writes for the USA Today Network and is a government watchdog reporter in Shreveport, Louisiana. He enjoys cooking, concerts, and content. Email him at kdbrown1@gannett.com or connect on Twitter @kendrickdante.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport redistricting map to have five majority black voting districts