The U.S. Supreme Court will once again consider the issue of gerrymandering in Merrill v. Milligan. The litigation centers on the congressional districts drawn along the southern half of Alabama, known as the Black Belt due to its fertile dark soil. [Many of Alabama's African American voters reside in this area, imbuing the region's nickname with a racial connotation, as well.] After the 2020 census, Alabama legislators drew a plan that included only one majority Black district in this region: District 7; the remainder of the Black Belt was fractured among four other districts. No Black candidate has ever won any congressional district in Alabama except in District 7.