More than a dozen African American organizations and community leaders will testify and demonstrate at the meeting of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission on July 13 in Sacramento at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, Classroom C from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The groups say the Commission has completely reversed itself on the draft maps it released to the public last month and has engaged in clandestine deliberations that have resulted in proposed district configurations that gut African American electoral power in the state Assembly, Senate and Congressional districts.
They also question the Commission’s recent decision to amend its schedule and NOT release a second round of draft maps to the public. Instead, the Commission will make visualizations and equivalency files available for organizations and news outlets. Information on how regular citizens can obtain the information has not yet been released.
“This is a very disturbing shift,” said Betty Williams, President of the Sacramento NAACP. “These proposed maps, if approved, will take us back 50 years and are in direct violation of the Voting Rights Act. We hope that the Commission recognizes how important it is maintain the districts that guarantee that communities of interest maintain a unified political voice in this state. Too many Black people have lived and died for fair representation.”
Other Black leaders slated to testify at the meeting include, Aubry Stone, president of the California Black Chamber of Commerce, David DeLuz, of the Greater Sacramento Urban League, Larry Lee, of the Sacramento Observer, Derrell Roberts, of Roberts Family Development Center and Tom Stratton of Black Advocates in State Service.
The final district maps are slated to be released July 28th and adopted by the Commission on August 15th.
Contact: Velma Sykes
Sacramento NAACP
Phone 916-271-2286
816 H Street, Suite 201
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone 916-447-8629
