Memorandum from Lani Guinier to Deval Patrick, Penda Hair, Judith Reed, and Joel Berger

Correspondence
February 7, 1986

Memorandum from Lani Guinier to Deval Patrick, Penda Hair, Judith Reed, and Joel Berger preview

Cite this item

  • Case Files, Thornburg v. Gingles Working Files - Guinier. Excerpts from Debates on Traditional Barriers, 1982. 335ab684-dc92-ee11-be37-6045bdeb8873. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/47ac7a6a-a52c-4c18-9ae6-5dda8ee15660/excerpts-from-debates-on-traditional-barriers. Accessed August 19, 2025.

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    5. T rar)rhrr",l- Baarricrs

JatSe )c-c-Lsu^ of I?E

Fi" :#LHE.,'Hfu H"'$iil{,,i?f ;,}1 i rn

l#ffsm*:Nfltrm*gru, ,- ft"n you have to drive 50 miles Ul.l-t"'.ir*";;";; bwn to

fi [f'l:ltu l:;[ J][, ]]l :'i*ti *:,* ***;*i',,;ii, g

'tr:L"Hlffiit ii,1,ilo,L: Tu:";ftm"";; ;" record a;ries of articles that.appeared recentrt i;-;[;A;dH constitu-rioo. The artictes, whici: r." 
"niiii".i, 

^t;;i!i"r'Eiru, 
stllDenied." document that discrimi"ulll, against bracks in the erec_6--al process is also. widespread in iu.al cZ".gr" 

v'ge- trt

Mr. Eou'.^nos. withouf obiection-ihe.r- *.iil be received for the6le (See pp. 279-301.)

irr.r. Co[rc-{\ a.-l 4 u I

IUr. CornB;. wh;; i ;;"; Gti-onv before this committee in
1975, I know that the members would-aot recall, uut-lii"i" *"."
thousand.s.of pages of testimony, !,rt we looked ai tt u t iiio.y, ifr"
patterned history of racial disciimination reflected in court reiords
and beharior prac-tices of the state. I urged extension to l9E2 then.
I cannot ans*er that question in terms of years. After having done
post-1975 research,. we have such light years to go in terms of
dealing *ith practices. electoral strutturls: indeedl onlr i week*.-
ggo. .intimidation in voting occurred in the state or r;iu-a in the
McAllen City elections.

A^* !le^"1 ( R.es, rfr,Es.NiArP) nl ,{-l-z_

Mississippi stilr has qror-e diflicurty than man1, other stat€s inregisrering its citrze_ns.,tn rr4ii*..ippi it i, 
"*i"rtr'"L',]i I'grn o,get a hunter's Iicense than it i. tr"."sot"r to vote. To reg:ister tovote, a citizen still has. p so to the couity courthouse;i ;;E count\.seat or to the citv ha-il in the cities and to,r,ns. There i. no ao"oi]ti-door registratig-{r-"ng qrori,orlrr""si"t" is rurar. persons v.ho aretoo old or too ilt or bedridden t"o.go-t"-tfr";;;;i):;;'o, ii,e cttyhall, simplv cannot register. Th;?; ;;" no pror-isions to regisrerthem and we do not.hive depri! ,"fr-"tru..'u-. **_i'Srlte= f,ur.that 

. 
could go door t" a*f !1e p;;"* persons ourside of thecount.\'seai or the tonn or the cit1.iralli wir-tr. ifr"i H;'"'

fw. Ba,"[e a-i s<,
-- Jus: a-';nsl;'uciive aboui rhe le€rsiat:ve mentairtr ir: I\drssrssipp: x q'hat r: fairs trAl: ei'fo:'ts i(:, nakp thr regiit:'atror proc-ess -or" ao.essibi" 

"rti,i-ilpi,-nrr*
par' Al e;,o:is ii ma[€ thr reglFt-atror proc-ess mort a:cer"jbje u,thc peoF,it navrbeer i:i:rec lr. ihe c()fi:n:itree Re_grsl:-atior,'in Mssrssipp. ,. ir*it*;-t" onJiir,,un *Lhe counir be',ueer, the hours of E.ll(r a.m.-5 o.rr,. M.nt", throrroh F.iio- p*r^-rLhe counir beiu.eer, the hours oiE.l.r(r a.m -5 p:r, Mo1.,iu-rl iiri.irllT.-iii].--f;A#
,rgrsir-arror. cioor ro dmr.registratiorr and erin- mor.ing ti,o .eg,ii.alio"-6"o1 ti, tllvoting precrrrcls ha'e r1,1. |*n, relecte<i b-r the Mrsirr.jppi 'Ggiiature -At-i".g.
elections are p:'esen'ei religiousll aird the list goes on

ure. At-large

Joalurn Ault- [ f"ALDLF) a-{ 13&

L Yotta3 Dlrcrluktttoa lt ?cur
Tcxer her e yrll docrscnttd Llrtory of rotiug dtrcriuLurtioa.

fblr dlrcrlnlD.tlsr Blt .rtcnrtrnly docr.uatrd tn Eh. 1975 brrrtogr
to rccl .rr!nr!a, of thr yotiqt Bighrr 

^"a 
J/

cben3rr ln po).llug plrccr for lbr tlom.i_a3too lodcpaodcot Ecbool

Dlrtrlct yhicb htd r dreottic lqrct oE votcr prrticlp.tlsr,
rrrultlog 1r tlrl lorr of Epo C}.icrno cu,di&tcr iy r.r.rt..,

1,1 I
volcs rplccc;^- rroting utchlna feilurc tn uioority votlogt2/ - t3tprcclnctr; -.pc)l trxcr; 

- 
er.::uel votc: !?tlstrrtioc

7t/
r.q'.::rcE€.:s, 

- &aj.rt Of lrrltrrncc tc nor -Eagl1th-

b 9, Ab-il*A c-Da<t

o[ *lrtc.r^-{a C*.sl1]1&
a"r\ c-LcS

to Eb. Southvttt:

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a o{ a^!" - Co9J-
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o <Ylo f {o aSEoa 9C96t E a -o ac !c
^ { .o oododA oaaq)99o
E\o ot C-E lkFolHro!l
ooal e.ixleA ' o&C!9et>a\
O.fl .AA{r
t 9 ' f n I al
E6 f f36,i o6 A4- {\ 9u FOa - O 2&Orl Dld
Al C ic au 3 (J O -e Ou)F d6.(J q

0 .OC a >Jo . Eoi Of .l -ac D a o! ro 6rx.r u q CI aJ
O ! N lg CO.ilF o r, Ll O kla - .rl !r

< Frrol -l\ \c)OtlEi \ot- c)l -}.'e. I nllb, Al Al e- a -l! iI.'5 -5€ !,a co) a:< D sh sl

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CO Trd,Idr,.J Barrrqrs, cor. 
rl

l.Lv, Btxni\ta- [ Uu urc-) a] tz*
-ii CrocUett C,ountr we h'ave hJo-.b*ntee ballots marked rn
Gfierent colors. $te have bad countv clerks color one set of absen'
tx baUot white for the Americani. and s'e have had the other
rbsenr.ee ballors colored red for thoee Mexicans. I think it's a
Datler of pubtic record, offered through sworn testrmonf il hear'
irgF he)d 6-v the South*'est Voter Feg:^stration Education Project,
dcon:unciion with otber Hupanil-o:'ganrzations, a matter of

t?fl
public record that these events did take place in Crockett Corrntr
iyhere color coding was utilized to {eny the vote to Mexican Ahe#
cans-not in 1935, but in the late 1970's. Fortunately, that^case 6
challenged in court and we now have two Mexican americau
county commissioners in Crockett Count_y.

*\2.55 ..t
Cli?rdrng -to \{'hitt House effiglnls. as wel; a-c news reports s,ibpe{ anc c:'sr:'ibuted through the Neq' yorh rimes ne*s sen'ice,
p-admrmstratlon 

. 
rs recommending that pr*ciearance be limited

f,&ose change_s that ha'e e_licr_ted lhe mosi objections -from the
DFrtmen i ot J usttce-regtpO_dlonm.ent- for exdmple,-the EhangerG srngle-mernber_ to at-large 4lstrict e-Iections, ind the _enne"x-
Jior,-Esue But u-ha1.w.e-ha,e-i:r manj' parts of soulh rexas and in
!a Texas L. tle-ib.rse of rbe abseirrL brli"; f*-"r;pr., b"r
Ere,srgrlrfrcantl-v, we_have the abuse of polling plac_es phdre'pott-
! place-s.are mo'ed from election to ereition ti con1usc the Mex;-
P. Americar .vorer. where ve h-ave poiling piaces consolidated.
Err peopJe golng ro- the usuai polling place-and it will be cloeec.
E-f*,need the preclearance for maneuvers of thl. t}?e which are
F6erhanded in an effort to abridge the right to votior mioo.itl".
Erb. admrnr-ciration alsc, recommends cf,anging the formula for
ETtrg., and it suggests that there be a bailou'. frorrsion and that

FF, #:5',:U :","#T ;;;i,i.",ffi #:.0 
*, iecen r vea* m i sh :

l-526

One of the concerns rre have you have touched on alreadl' Thqt
is the hours peop)e must have in order to register to-vote.-Usualll
thel' are from I in the morning to 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

You have alreadl' taken notice of the fact that u'orking folks
cannot vot.e and regist.er at that particular time.

I won't du,ell on-that particular issue because I t'ant to take m1'
5 minutes and get through.

'- One thing I would point out to the committee is there is a lot of
resistance io voter r-egistration. Alabama passed a law to allow .
voter registra!'s to appoint deputy registrars to assist in the proceFs
of vot,er regr-stering Onll' 12 counties w'ould appoint deputy regis-
trars elen when the Goi'ernor of Aiabama q-rote some voter regis-
trars ani encou: aged them to appoint deputl registrars.

The.r igrrored tne Govei'nor. That telis )'o', Prett)' much horr most
folks rn Aiabama srill feel abour registratjon Tha.l is a fact

Anolher potnl I r*'ouii poini out is tha'. u'e'still hare numerous
polling places in q'hite esta'bitshrnents. u'hjtr stores n'hi''t
lhurctes. and s<-r fonh \4hile I don't think that there ought "*- be
an1'. seiriorr.,. if ever. do -"*ou find a vote:' piace in a biacl: establtsh'
menL.

I *'ant to move or a-c rapid)]' a-. I Possibi-r can to speah -to
another chiliing effecl or: the ca-sting of one's baliot. and that is the
involsemenr of blacks 1s poliing officials b - t-

I u-iu concede in som" couniies black. do sen'e t:^ryltilS:jfl. )B\ed. pdt amc,ats
ciais. but in m.ost counties the-s do not If thel do. it is onl\ // u''

tokenism I rron't spend a iot of time on that.
I n'ill make that point and go on. If 1'ou want to raise that

qu_estlor,. J-ou can.

},t(!AQ r e- B O ZC*t]zn c^, i5 & 5. .\\
i- Likeuise. we 

- 
have ferr blacks n'ho are appointed to serve on

,rricus citr jr.nd eount.\ boards Even chance i get to sa-v-it. I tell
JtoPte rnal rtrcl.:ens LounI\ has no ecuai- u'hen ii comes to den_r-ing
rccks ease o, access to regisrratron and loting. Registration'bar
rte!'s accessjbjlltr rr, tbe registratior sitr. an aitirude of ihe boarcj
J_regrsirars remair, ou:. bigees: pr-.oler rn plchens Countr Aiah 1!t?: we reglesleci tnai our boarc of registrar, ,ppo-i-il"pui:.
ryls'iral-s Ther' fiatj-v refused

Altnough the boa.c rold us cri se\erar occasions thal tner u-i,uid! u'iiirng t() nc|lc 
'ot.e:-s 

reEislratron: ri; ih€ precrncts. *e hat.e
beer.. unabre t{, ge: 'ihem rl irn;,1snrg.- rnrs The:r brsl,-excus. ;o,mt h.ar-rng arr ac:tve Yoler! (rulrea:i Frogram r-. thar the iecisl;
Erre ha-. se: cenarr. reE:r.siia[]on da.r.s fc,r in"rr, r,o foiio" 

-anC'il,i,
tle...uii) nci ge: parc for the deys rrrii:i har.g a,reai.. bee:- c;es,ina::i r,'. :au fc'r rhe:r r resrste: peop.:r

Pz

)oa Reer[ (At* }r,uD Crliere.*c,-, ttctcL TtU]^.r1 Ca-rr-) ^{ lfr&

6{r*1"*.wA



.. :I?tlB,i - r'i.r.: -

6) {,%.0,\^*.aI. bot^tr*
'\ra \o't,.r..o^ r (ff'+, a-+- trbr

Rareir. have we conducred a vot€rs' registration drive in Pickens

C"ffil;f;ili.h hr; ioi -", *-ith some reslstance from 1ocal officials

One of the most t"or-r"g things black vot€rs face in Pickens

C.o;;i)'-in1i:r,'i"g t" regriter-is steadl' Pressure of the law enforce

aent officers.

\dc'r r6frrlr<.t }e %tr*rm ) Ll l5({
_ Mr. Hvor. I r[ant to sa1.' that I have listened u'ith great interest

- and .rr,.""r-n,;;'i'"ifltifi -"*. t"gitt*tion hours from 9 to 4 iE

ortrag"o,rli'itt a;tt)]ut"rt atlG"La'to x""p people u'ho are work'

ing and oliiu'i,''t*ilifi;;lii ir' tiaveling from registerinR'

If that persists and exjsts' it-i= *"iE than wrbne It i-'-it would

BPem Lo rie to-o'etl l don't rl'ant t'<' sa)' too muct' bur it Ls more

tnii""i;ff 
of deputl. regisrrars, onll l2 coun.ries have therrr, dem-

onstrates a clear laih or "ntr,rilii* 
io1 g"rtlrg people registered,

"oi'f;ri[r..ron of vorrng places. if *,hat M.r Reed sa1's is true-and

I don,r doubt thal il is-is a rirUti-'i."-la"rion of biach peopie and

is also wrong
Sfi;igg[-&b]ac-L'workinsa-'Pollinsgfficiaisisu'rong

lii-elflilrtslIroA#EElir. t].i.o ri :!EE

:

P.3

\144

Crv?-Ua- S@t+ Ytn", o-* \1ql

i -i bu.r of the.rural communities in the South-and I heard of a
j.r* -oqt 

q". )ong agc that some friend.' reported. thar a teach-
16, ,nvoJ..d ln ? communitl- wher-e she had been u'orking to get
i; r"g,f'"ered .Anci a-s a result of her actirities, she hai beln
,Vs*- her.position We u'ere told that this needed to be looked
E Uccause thr-. particular person had been so intimidated that
-.a -s not in a position tr, reach out to anyone. We did have
fu* to check on it and found thar this is srill true. thar
5r-driio*-peop-lq a:'e harassed. thel are fired frorn their posi-
L rs a result ol 3ust Fyirg to work in the communit.r. to ger
p,t reglst€red tc, r'ote- Some pecple are so intimidat.ed tirar tliet
L : et'en t1 . Alc so thar somehou u'e have got Lo crea,e b

-rrr 
in q'hich peop)e are nc Ionger afraici. thar iher. know ther.

r r€^sr€r free)1 and that the.r' vri]l not be penalizecl ior x'har is. jrk'i the mosi ba-.ic right. the right to vol.e.

#il' il t;;';;"; f!',',|!, 
-e"i;ro." 

derins drawing el eetion, d*{
bounda:-ies sc, thal the number of eiection dl.stncts whlch.,coltrl

,;il:r:l'5nx1",.1"T'??:i:::,,o*'t'"1:f *"?::t:-*:fi{
ilH;.i;";-oi-o..'"lu;;;t ;;;i"st into 8 nurrrb€r of rndi'idud'
::ffii; "; Iir"" ii.#. "r-os" 

oi -lno'iti"J *tt,,a'"g it*tioru tl
;t;;. -;t 

o, *uiii-"--Et drst.i"t", ar-Iarge voting for du"rid:
".#il"#l l*I;.;;';; -;i 

"tr,a ."d uc,r,s-tt e ouibe' o1 seas'

il'r-'u' g, .:" ri ;Fri;; 
-; 

Li+:-;, ;;" rto- th. .,', umbi :' oi, 
" : 

=.1l^"j,'.* 
I

qo{alAt,.e- 1tT ^or+ftrln- (.v* e 'Lur}hor, " -\'4) o +

Disiriminarion is alive anc well ir, t!: Deep south a-s is shoEE

a recent pubhcation ;i.;;;.gtiiii"a i'g"ttieis to Effec1:t-^P"i!
;"u;;"ir'bi;;;J pot,.,"t't ln that rePf,n is list€d most of

["1,":n barriers tt' Iu]l minoritl participalion''A i;;-;;amples ar-e llconv-enien"-and'or. irre'guiar. times

r.;.siiatiorr; incon.-enrent locatior-,* for reglstration, rnadeq

;"fi;b;;";f-rirrr"il.r poil natchers. inadeoua'* numt'er of ass:-"r

ilr-'ilf i-..irrs : ra c r: Ji 
-U;.ir.rg-.1 

materiaii 
. 
fo: n on'English *pea

;i;t;;r, mlsuse oi aeseniee bariots: rnadequatr cooPeratrcn

Lrailrt"t t1 ei"ctro" offrcrais about requir-eEJent€ fot .9',1.*;, ;;r;;"t" l-ri*il*; ieii.i"'Lioa-( on iutd ,Pan]-o-l T^dtp,l
enr candida.,es. minoritr candidates polJ $'atclters noi Derng

fo"."J-to 
"lialienge 

rneligible voter=, poi.nt out and co:'rect e-o,T,

iir"-"f".,i"i-of,*iurionrlo, to be piesent ar the countrng of

iJf"t -"1i*i"*r"g 
an offrce or cirangling ir from e)ecri'e to

pointite. q'hen it ipp*.t that it m,ar.bt *fo bll 
^ra.,3?li)rf

e"', ai-"ar"d u, tha: o$ce extendrng the -rermr oi nonmrnorlrtlr
F;;:;-..i; L d",ui Einorri\ eie:tion tr' offrce' ari inesu::ab't :'edrl

trict i n c a.n i rea ppon ) onmen'. f o1) orrng ;e ri-cu-r reD'JiLi



tD +rl-A-Llus!^al baxriqrs ,,r,, I

Ge,tw\A-rr^r- Tl,-r-ts,r.n- (U+"t €Ao<., \,f,) a-+ tq+l

CLOEING 
'TATEI{EMT

'iT,i"lit{""x*"i.{:i{H'l'^}ii''F,[ii"g"]'r:?.##
F.-r#a?"i;;d ffi;;iii,. tno"'" barnerr ti' full minorit) PanlcrPs

HS.T,PSoli"''ig'g; -i3::^f ' 
reEs" :'a t i on :

r locations for regutratton'
;ffi;; 

"1 
minoritl. rylr :-lft=;

ffir,,ugm;lfif ff : j::*tff iB*i ng citizens;

,,, IHjj$F"i,*"frrr: candidaies b1 e]ection officrars abou! requiremenl.

iiffilislikq,*x**" l"f:#*;srm* n **"&T; lr*:

ffi ;l' ;l"T:'L?!3:,1i'';ff'I;"i# T1Y;'";n,: []ii'Ii'c u' $1r' an

-fr-oa,on of one e)ecraral contesi rntr a numixr of indiririual contesl( t( tht

tEffi,lt;+"'. 
:'H'1,;n"-*rdrsi.c'ls

{fr{$qft ""[#i]: n':ri,:T i ":::: :::,::ffi : -. " 
:;

,)ffi fii) e :-ec L.t ri cr : nF an c rea ppo n i crr m e:: r f oi i c*ing ce ns'!r-( reF,orr

g#[]Tfiii*i#Hrft#,iffi *m+*:,.;Eitq
Lr: lormr o,*oro,'"t"LC-polirca' tr'tirr^iiarror^' are harc a: s'orL to rrlr^:ir'izt

- tillr of thl} acr *"; -;;;e'";;i- t(' turr'.-bac} th' cioch as E{f,or' a-' lhe ac' ti

-d 

o: t€rE"r.Inarec- di lf'nuit nete: forgel *t'''t t'"po"n*' in the So;r:-' a

- 

q:r r.he:. tn. poir..,ca rrE:t: m::iarec anc-:r,aintllnec b1 co-ngresslona'

b_ enc prcr.ecrror. ;;;ij;;rt'.*iri'c,ii, u:".;a:rencinenE anc the ERA s s'-rorc

It rrhu iersla-.tor_ *"i.--"''."i".i anc abr;qee; afrer conE:resslona.. Inltre::

ll ra'dstor- ""n* 
*'-* male governmt':.'t ii" iour'' ' 

Crue' ani r'e:-rilii

ffI_+rnocia-.ii icieal: and value NeveuAga':'

P.c[ n%J a\b]

"*$ll'"t""l"Tii*#H-r"r,tffi 
"fi 

""i.Jlf 
trJ'[;F?'"'"Jil:"1lTrfr

ifir.k";il]i;a;t i5tt p"il workerr.in eo-necul.r cauntl', Alabama, were appoi*
;i:c";F.h cfliathtF " 

biact populagion of nearlv 4i.fl=:t,*c 
+rroh r2 e,.e .,!

V.*

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