BATON ROUGE - State and national leaders say they are not giving up the fight after the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana's congressional maps.

"Let me be clear, this fight is not just about black America, it is about the future of American democracy itself," Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke said.

A ruling by the Supreme Court on Wednesday calls a second majority minority district in the state's congressional map unconstitutional, claiming it was drawn with race as a focus.

"This opinion will have an everlasting effect on black representation, you know, throughout the southern part of our country," Congressman Cleo Fields said.

Congressman Cleo Fields says this decision takes things back to before the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

"Louisiana is a state that has always had discriminatory practices against African Americans in the voting process. You know I more than anybody wish that was behind us, but it's not," Fields said.

Fields, who represents the sixth congressional district, which stretches from Baton Rouge to Shreveport, says the real issue is whether or not people across the country will be affected.

"This will have a devastating effect on southern states, not only on the national level, but on a state level and on a local level as well," he said.

State Senator Regina Barrow says she believes it's going to be more difficult for every voter to ensure their vote is heard.

"It's very sad because we have watched people die, so that we could have the right to vote, and this is another component that is being stripped away," Barrow said.

But Barrow says the fight is not over.

"Activating the community, making sure the people are informed and educated about how this decision truly can impact their voice and their vote," she said.

Fields says the more realistic next steps are a special session being called in the state legislature to redraw the districts.

"It's going to be tougher, quite frankly, to draw a majority minority district, not only on the congressional level, but state and local level as well, and I think that's unfortunate," he said.

President of the NAACP Baton Rouge Branch, Rebecca Perloff says in a news release quote:

"This moment must be understood in that context. We cannot absorb it in silence. We cannot treat it as routine. History has shown us what happens when rights are weakened without response.

Now is the time to be clear: We must stand up, speak out, and organize-together.

Not against one another, but in unity. Our strength has always been unity and collective action. This is not the end of the fight. It is another turning point.

On May 16, we have a critical opportunity to respond with action-not just words."