Tenn. 1989), was the restructuring of the election process of Chattanooga's Board of Commissioners due to its unconstitutionality as it contradicted Section 2 of the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Candidates were chosen by a majority vote, but most voters were identified as caucasian or non-residential property owners, eliminating the opportunity for an equal representation of the 31.69% (as of 1980) of black population and residents.

Whites continued to dominate the Commission post even after 1971 when John Franklin, the only black candidate to have ever been elected, became a part of the otherwise all-white governmental board, and was reelected until its termination.

[3] The issue was initially presented by Lorenzo Ervin, Annie Thomas and Maxine Cousin (all leaders of Concerned Citizens for Justice) to the ACLU in Atlanta.

Chattanooga's Board of Commissioners, named as defendants, were (mayor) Gene Roberts, Ervin Dinsmore, John Franklin, Pat Rose and Ron Littlefield.