South Carolina has had exactly one Black representative in Congress since 1897: James Clyburn. Now, a proposal to redraw the state's political map would dismantle the district he represents, because apparently one is too many.

The state's sixth congressional district is a winding marvel of compromise, stretching from the Georgia border through Charleston's high-end shopping district, past the antebellum capitol, and into Black belt farmland. It contains the Gullah Geechee coastal homeland, two historically Black colleges, and some of the poorest people in the US in Barnwell and Allendale counties - a product of a 36-year-old peace pact between civil rights leaders and South Carolina's white conservative political apparatus.

That pact is now under threat after the US Supreme Court effectively gutted a major section of the Voting Rights Act, prompting a Republican scramble to redraw key districts. Former President Donald Trump has urged state Republicans to tear up the deal, and Governor Henry McMaster called a special congressional session to consider the proposal, which started Friday.

Back in 1990, Democrats controlled South Carolina's legislature but had been bleeding white political support for 25 years following the Voting Rights Act. The Black caucus struck a deal: they'd support the Republican map if one district could elect an African American. Clyburn took office in 1993 and quickly became a rainmaker, directing spending to fix the famously dysfunctional highway system, pushing rural broadband, and alleviating poverty. Nationally, he's a kingmaker for Democratic presidential aspirants, reviving Joe Biden's flailing 2020 campaign with an endorsement that put Biden on course for the White House.

Clyburn also advanced a 10-20-30 federal funding formula - requiring at least 10% of federal investments to go to communities where at least 20% of the population lived below the poverty line for 30 years. Black communities benefit, but so do rural white communities across the country.

"This place has such a rich, deep history of organizing, of social change, of slavery, of harm. And none of it has really been reckoned with," said activist Jessica Thomas. "There are great people here. There are also people who want to keep things the old white boys' way and control everything."

All except one of South Carolina's seven US congressional districts are held by Republicans. Trump's demands to pull apart the lone Democratic seat ignore longstanding political conventions. Supporters call it draining the swamp; detractors describe it as transparently racist.

"I mean, it's like we're never, ever going to outlive the accusation, you know?" said Terra Ciurro, visiting the state capitol with her retired soldier husband. "We're never going to outrun it."

Clyburn suggested the plan was "a comprehensive approach to creating Jim Crow 2.0," throwing the state back to an era of racial segregation and repression. "I'm gonna run no matter what," he told reporters.

The relative comfort with the current map has been criticized by some Black leaders for conceding potentially competitive territory. Clyburn has defended gerrymandering for partisan advantage, saying, "Aggressive redistricting efforts, that's one thing. To be suppressive of Black voter strength, that's another thing."

The district does not have a Black majority today - US Census estimates suggest about 46% of its residents are Black - but about a quarter of South Carolina is Black, and about a quarter of those Black people live in Clyburn's district. The state's booming manufacturing industry and influx of conservative retirees could change the political calculus over time.

"How are we going to be a state that welcomes people from everywhere else?" asked Damien Barber, a recent political science graduate protesting outside the legislative offices. He grew up in Richland County, which contains Congaree National Park - South Carolina's only national park, created by legislation Clyburn advanced in 2003. "None of the congressional representatives are, honestly, pretty effective," Barber said. "He's the one that everyone talks about. Some people don't even know who their representative is, but everyone knows Jim Clyburn."