Correspondence from Alfred to Lynn
Correspondence
August 5, 1981

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Case Files, Thornburg v. Gingles Hardbacks, Briefs, and Trial Transcript. Correspondence from Alfred to Lynn, 1981. c7428233-d892-ee11-be37-6045bddb811f. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/9719bb93-02ee-4975-a5d2-32fd58f0aa2a/correspondence-from-alfred-to-lynn. Accessed July 17, 2025.
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s 1 f.,, Nrrrilr Crrr,rlirr;r (lirrr,.'rir[ ]srt'rnt,trr t\,'rr:r I t U lrlrlrrIr,'r >Strrt,' ?!cqi:,trr tir,c ].lrri [trirrq lirrlriql; 'li ti I I August 5, l9B1 l,.il, i r ''r tt' t ti 'ill I ,r a{Aroil (.AuY O. Al.t-r.l.u | (J rrr a)r5 rIrCl lr. 2. 8ox 32O ;uaLrNGToN. N. C. 27215 COM M ITTEES: ECoNoT4Y FINAI{cE HTGHEF EoucATroN HUM^N REsouRCEE .rl,It,:t IY I ltrutsr rrcTtNc. tfHArc SENrla CrrtzEN9 AFFAtns SM ar t. BUs tNEss lvis. Theresa Lynn De.'pantrrrent of Justice Civil Ri3hts; Division TcrrIir u Perrrrsylv.lrti.r AVt'.., i.i .vr. \\'ashington, D. C. 20530 Dc,'rr^ l,as. [-yrrn: It is my opinion that the Congressional Rec.l istr icting Plan for N':,.16 Carolinn nntifi<.<l lrv tl-rc'lotzt scssiorr of thc Cenc:ral Assembly of tlonth (l.rrolirr,r l,ril'. lo torrrlrly v.ritlr'.('v('r',rl r'r.rlirrrl:, oI tlrt'1irrl,r'c,rrrt,(]r.rr.r r't oI Llrr. Llrritcd 5t,ltcs .rrr<l is tlrc:rcforo urtconstitutiorlal. ln t[-rr' f,ttlrrlrrrr' Cotrr^[ (],1':,(, rt{ \'./r.';lrt'rry v... !,;rrrrlt.r-:, tltc r-(-rtrr-t tr, lcl tlritt tlrt'l)tri)trl.rti,rr ol c(,r)r1'(.ss:,iorr.r'i--it i:.-li-, ct=, [' tt--," -r,,,c stutc rrrusl lrc f.>atricl< vt;. ilrcislcr, thr-' court r<:jc:ctccl tlrc su!'lqcstion tlrat tlrcr. ir - r ,r lroirr[ ;rt rr'lrir l] l)(,1 ,ttl,rliort <li[[r.rt.nr:t'., iltr(lr-rr; rJistri<-t:, lrr..ccrtrr<:s "rlr-. rrritlirr,iS." 'llrc courI lrclcl tt-r.rt a stilte rrrLlsI cither sfto\y tlr;rt nt(,ihcnlatical : equality vitriarrccs are unavoidable or specific.llly justify the vi,ni6nces. r Tlrc r;rtif iccl Cot-tcj r-cssiortal rcdisl.ricl.in! I)l.ln of 19Bl fc-tr lrlorth C rrolina (loes not rncct tl'rc rulings above. The ratified plan splits one (,)unty (l,',oor^c) arr,crng tr^,ro cj istnicts. lf counties had beerr split in cacl- of Il-rt.' L]on(ir('s5i<rnir I cl istnic.ts, tl'rc <listricts corrl<l h;tvc l.>c:en <jnatwn nlonc r'tc.trl,' equ;ll in l)()l)(Jl;rli<lrr .rnc.l lnor(t ()(:o.lrer;tlricllly c<-rrrrpact. J lre vil ri,.)trccs irt cr-irr,'rlit;, ctf f)()l)ul;rtir>rr rif tlrt: r^ittif ic'cJ pl.rn itre thg,,:forc r-rnjrr:-tifirr[.rlt.,rnti <:orrl<l lrc ;rvoitlr,<1. ln City of I'rol,lilr.'vs. [.)olrlr.r'r, Jr.rstir-c Stevens stirtcci th.it the cor r,;titution- al test of ..r r^ecjistrictinq plan is wl'rr:ther it is: (l) 'runcouth," i.e., Ur"rLrS(rcll arrcJ I'nrilnifestly not Lhc. pro.jrrct ()f ;t rorrlinr: ot^ traditic,ral poli- tic.rl tlt.t.i:,ir,rr;" ('t-) lr.r.,'r,r :;i,.; rriIi<..rrit.rttvr,r-:,t.,irrr1->ir<-t orr.: rrrin,:r.ity ';r'oll1r;",rrrrj (j) isrrrtn!tr1,ltrrur'[c'q iry Lrrr rrc'tltr'.:rl justific.-rtiolr" c1 r-r ..i tltcrc- ic.r"t i:; t:itlrc:r irrittiorr;rl ()r' tlrr: frrorlrrc-t o[ ;r rliscrinrin;rtory rrroti, c. .., Trrc. ratiriccr rJ. c. pt..rrr .[ rebl is irr..rrion<.rr in ,,-,:;o/7C!r*P;I (o|/.d-, coLrnt)/.rnd tlrc scconci district is al qnoup of count'ies strunq out in I tr fislrool<-lil<c shape to av<.:id inclutJinq Durharrr Coulty, which l.,rs a /l lrcirvy Conc(.ntrati<>n of 11 1161. vol3rs . // ^\' ' /'A,'I ' .,., IA^ /\ [ /' ,-'-' l,:)\' ' ( \i_l ) \) 1 I AUG 19Bl /.i:3 r, ;, , t -" 'r .. - i'; " -- " '/ ) ot -) \ i:i)ii -{-l rllr llrt' tir 'tr'ict:' ,l tlrr. r',rtiIit.tl l)lcrr] dr(: c('rtctinly ,'uncoutlr" bcc.iusc thcy c.rrC rl()t crs !i c'()!r^ili-:l"iicir lly c()rnpact ds l)ossiblc. Alarrrancc count)/ deci- :,ions tvr.rultl nr>[ l-.lc routint, ly linl<ec] r,.,iti'r tlrose of E<.J r-leconrbc County.'l-l,r' rl{'(,([',rirlrit rorrli,lr]r'.rli()rr r,I llrt' lrr,t-r)r'r(J District of tltc r;rtiIicrl tJlc]n i:,'.,UCir tlrirt,r Con(lr'{.'s:,rrLlrr ctn)r-r()[ irci,.r;r-rirtcly rc'l)r(].icnt it. Durlranr County is cl<-rrninatccj by tol-.>arcco irrteri,:,ts Lls drt: rno:it oi thc othcn coun_ tie.s in tl-rr: scconcJ cJ istrict oxcci)t A. Ii,rri,rnce. llre r'.rtilretr lrltrl o[ lgol ir..r:, .r :,i,1rrilic.rlt cruv(:r-Sc vo[crs lry diltrtin<; thcir lrolitical strc,rrrlth t-retw,ccn l")istricts. l-lrc: Votinrl Rirllrts; Act ()f ll)(;5 Dro[rilrits Tlre r-atificr.l ;rlirrr rninirrizt,:., tlrc, r\ I irrr,, I r ,r-c. frlr r n t y I )('C.t (J':,r, t I tr'rc t,y f>liir:inct Allrrr;tnco irr'lrr.l^'1 ltr,-l p) c()lnti\)ii irr tlre Sr,CCrrrrJ {-tiStriCt irnrl lr1'1r.r:.:'lrrr1 I)tlr'lr.trrr c.oLrrrt\/, tlrt. l.rlirclr volt.r.:; r,, I []urlt.rnr curtrrt/ Ccutr-leI cort[;ine tl-rcir volin! str(:r'l(]th witlr othcn Sccorrcj Distr^icl. countics ltaving hearvy [.rlocli vot(-'r rt:cj i5tr;rtiorr to have ir qreater. influcnce on cle,:tions for Con,,rcs-. ln tlrr.cir:;(. ()[ v.'iiite \/r; . llsr;r,sIr'r, a l(_,!lislative c.l ,str^ict- irr(t ;rl,rrr v\',r'. lr.lrl irrv,rlirl 1.,,.,-,iJr,-iliT.rit.,t",lJ-nc votirr<.; strc:ngtl, of , r ct i :,cr-r.' I t. ( :r(rLl I-) . tt lrr lri,- c()rtcrrrr-irr(l ()l)irr ion irr Cil'Z of l,{rtl ril(.v.i. I}rrlrl<.rr, Jtrstic<.S_,tcv<,rrs .,r'(,tr('(l tlr.rl. tlrc' L(,r):j,titutiurr.,ll;;;t, i-,ir,-is- "-fTi ,rst in"irj ious cl isc! inrina- tion arr'(-' "i-r;>ir licut:lc, not rrrc'rr:ly to .c.tc.nr\/nr.rn<lers cl ircctc.c.l againsl racial rrrinoriticl;, Irrrl to tlro:.t:.rirrrt'rl ,1 t rcliryir;us, t.tlrnic, c'con<>rnic, ilr.r ,r p<.;li- tir..,rl (1,'(rr.Jl.)li rr.: ryt,l 1." irrrlr.ret ort bl.rci< tlre Second ;rrrrJ Four^ih <liscrirrrination ci thcr llrr. L(ri)(.. ()l (-ity irrflut.rrcc of tltc [-icp..,ul>licirn Plrty. in (rr'c n(.) r'f Ir:r.: t ivr. llclrtrlr li<.;rrr ()r(J(_rn i..:ir t iclns tlrr,'1,c,c<.,rr<.J District oI tlrt: ratificir planlll til(l:,I rtl o{ 19til. Ilrl otlrt'r' cottlrlit.:: <tl Tlrc' nlr)st cf frrctivr: e6:lnr..]rr,:.sion;rl rc_,[)r(,:,(_.nt;rtior-r riill cc)r]r(., f rom thI n]ost (: r)rrrl),!(t tl('()()r-(rlrlri(-,..t I rli:,tlir-t:; lrt.rssilrl<,. -[lrc n,rtificcj pl;r rr docs rrot cr cltit'tzr' tlris. l'lr<' G,ri[rr,5, vs. Crrnrnrirr,:;:-', olriniorr stated that cJist,.icts rnay [.ro ccluirl ;rrrcJ siff f,.'-t,"f",e."t 1.. t t) A/ 1r,. r lclr lr-r[ (rrr .rtt()rrrrjy, uLJt lirupc, lirovc..livt:rr tlrc Cori,jrcs:;ic>rritl Redistrictin<; plan a<loptecJ by ra I Assr:.,nil> l;, r:f I98'l slrorr tcl l-rc rcjec tctJ lty t[re Sincr,r'c:ly, t-l i r r-y Allrccl (.rucqu<rle redSons why the i'lor^th Carolir.l Gene- Justicc Department 'it?'J '1, .t'r .:., ;, , rl r--i 'r !.-]r '-t /; !-( l, 'l- ':.E ?t l- .;i- rl-_- t.