In the early 1990s, this Supreme Court case addressed the complexities of racial gerrymandering and its implications for the American electoral system. In Shaw v. Reno North Carolina's redistricting plan was challenged for creating unusually shaped districts designed solely to elect African American representatives. Learn why the Supreme Court ruled that such racial gerrymandering violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Discover how Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's opinion emphasized that, while race can be considered in redistricting, it cannot be the predominant factor. Understand the lasting effect of Shaw v. Reno on the principles of electoral fairness and the prevention of racial discrimination in the redistricting process.