4111 West 21st

Place
Chicago, IL 60623
Phone: 773-521-
3137

Notes from Redistricting Bootcamp

April 28, 2011

Sponsoring Organizations

State Representative Arthur Turner, Jr., State Representative La Shawn

Ford and Commissioner Robert Steele have teamed up with a coalition of
regional and community-based organizations to conduct a redistricting
bootcamp. The coalition includes the Illinois Campaign for Accountable
Redistricting (ICAR), Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct
Organization (IVI-IPO), Open Door Foundation, Empowered Citizens of North
Lawndale (ECONL), the United Congress of Community and Religious
Organizations and the North Lawndale Community News. The coalition
envisions working with community stakeholders to ensure that Illinois'
legislative boundaries are drawn in a manner that is equitable for all
stakeholders. Questions regarding the workshops may be addressed to
Valerie F. Leonard, Co-Founder of the Lawndale Alliance at
valeriefleonard@msn.com, or 773-521-3137.

Planning Committee

Richard Barnett Fred Mitchell

Melva Brownlee Gene Moreno
Michael Evers Josina Morita
Millie Goldsmith Aviva Patt
Bruce Jackson Sondra Spellman
Mickey Johnson Dwayne Truss
Jimmy Lee Lard Jeffery Turner
Valerie F. Leonard Jocelyn Woodards
Isaac Lewis Gladys Woodson

Meeting Outcome

The opening prayer was offered by Rev. Govan Campbell, and Ms. Millie
Goldsmith read from Psalm 37.

Jocelyn Woodards provided remarks from the Illinois Campaign for

Accountable Redistricting (ICAR). She provided and overview of the
Campaign and welcomed the Lawndale Alliance to become a part of the
statewide coalition. A primary objective of ICAR is to expand organizational
participation to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, the

maximum diversity is achieved working in collaboration and coalition to

ensure accountability, transparency, and accessibility to the State
redistricting process.

Steve Laue, of the Census Bureau, provided a live demonstration of the

Census.gov website. This included navigation and running reports to collect
census data and develop maps. He also provided insights into how the
Census Bureau collects data; their process for evaluation of the results as
well as a process for appealing the results.

In the interest of time, Valerie F. Leonard did not share a Power Point
presentation on North Lawndale as a community of interest. She provided a
very brief verbal description of the community and some of its most pressing
issues—including education, foreclosure, and the desire to structure districts
with future economic growth potential. She encouraged the audience to
think of issues of concern to them as they participated in a facilitated
discussion regarding proposed boundaries for the West Side districts.

Ms. Josina Morita, Executive Director of the United Congress for Community
and Religious Organizations facilitated a discussion regarding proposed
boundaries for African American legislative districts on Chicago’s West Side.
Residents from North Lawndale and East and West Garfield re-iterated a
concern to keep their communities intact. Dwayne Truss, an Austin resident,
indicated that the 78th District is diverse, and he was comfortable with the
diversity and the fact that the region is served by more than one legislator.
A copy of the proposed maps are attached. The maps are part of a statewide
map that includes Latino and African American majority districts. The
statewide proposal also includes districts in which Latinos, Asians and African
Americans may not have a majority, but may have enough people to exert
political influence.

The final Redistricting Bootcamp meeting will be held on May 5, 2011 at the
10th District Police Station, 3315 West Ogden Avenue, from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm.
The meeting will include an overview of the legal implications for
redistricting, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Illinois Voting
Rights Act of 2011.
 Chicago-Westside Region
Legislative Map
The overall situation is that although there was significant Black population
loss, there is still enough Black population to draw four majority-Black
districts on the west side. These districts will have lower percentages than
past districts—all around 57 percent. In general, the areas included in these
four districts are needed to keep these percentages as high as possible—but
the lines of the individual districts within this area are more flexible. So, any
feedback on these lines would be great.

Source: United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations.

 Potential Majority-Black House
District:
West Side
BN1 (This is currently Turner’s District)

DISTRIC LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN

T POPULATION LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN 18+ 18+ 18+ 18+

BN1 108734 8.00% 26.17% 56.62% 7.35% 7.75% 31.13% 50.69% 8.69%

Source: United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations

 Potential Majority-Black House
District:
West Side
BN2 (This is currently Smith’s (formerly Collins’)
District)

LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN

DISTRICT POPULATION LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN 18+ 18+ 18+ 18+

BN2 108734 15.81% 23.62% 56.97% 2.07% 14.78% 28.56% 52.79% 2.50%

Source: United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations

 Potential Majority-Black House
District:
West Side
BN3 (This is currently Ford’s District)

LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN

DISTRICT POPULATION LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN 18+ 18+ 18+ 18+

BN3 108736 5.77% 32.21% 57.52% 2.52% 5.16% 34.29% 56.40% 2.75%

Source: United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations

 Potential Majority-Black House
District:
West Side
BN4 (This is currently Yarbrough’s District)

LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN

DISTRICT POPULATION LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN 18+ 18+ 18+ 18+

BN4 108733 17.22% 22.99% 56.47% 1.90% 14.78% 25.96% 56.11% 2.09%

Source: United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations