NC NAACP and Local Branches Challenge Guilford County Redistricting Plan

For Immediate Release

August 24, 2011

For More Information:         Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, President, 919-394-8137

Amina Turner, Executive Director, 919-682-4700

Jennifer Marsh, Legal Redress Coordinator, 919-682-4700

NC NAACP and Local Branches Challenge Guilford County Redistricting Plan

The ultra-conservative Republican led majority of the General Assembly once again exercised their new found power by quickly and deviously pushing through a bill that removes power from the people and flies in the face of local desires. On July 28,2011, the General Assembly ratified Senate Bill 719, dictating the voting districts in Guilford County. This was part of an omnibus local election bill that became law without the signature of the Governor. "This bill altered the makeup of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners by reducing the size of the board and redrew district lines that will impact Guilford County for the next ten years and beyond. The NC NAACP joins our local branches in opposing this bill based on the process in which it was developed and asks the United States Department of Justice to object to the submitted plan," stated Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, National NAACP Board Member and NC NAACP State Conference President. "Not only has the ultra-conservative led majority perverted the redistricting process at the congressional and state levels, but they have also overreached at the local level in ways that racially and politically stack and pack, resulting in diminished influence of the African-American and minority vote."

The General Assembly tasked the Guilford County Commissioners with the job of drawing new district lines. Before the Commissioners could complete the plan, the conservative majority pushed through another law removing local input in the process and creating districts with severe partisan advantage. These new districts pack African-Americans into three districts, limiting minority influence in other districts. It also bunks White and Black incumbents together creating the possibility that there will be no Black representation in High Point.

Guilford County is covered under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and therefore this change must be precleared with the United States Department of Justice (US DOJ). "Greensboro is well known as a catalyst in the civil rights movement of the 1960s but some do not realize today we continue to experience high racial tensions and polarized voting," stated Rev. Cardes Brown, Greensboro NAACP President. He continued, "What has been proposed in this redistricting process bypassed any input from the citizens of our community despite the fact that this is a county covered under Section 5 of the VRA. We are both offended and disturbed by this political attempt to roll back our voting rights and undermine African-American voting power."

"While I'm an elected official, my life's work has been dedicated to fighting for justice, civil rights and voting rights. It is clear that the plans being put forth not only bypass the wishes of the County Commissioners but more fundamentally attempts to remove Black influence in a way that undermines the ability to elect not only African-Americans but any officials of their own choosing," stated Ms. Carolyn Coleman, National NAACP Board Member and NC NAACP 1st Vice President.

We believe that House Bill 719 was enacted with discriminatory intent and will be retrogressive for minority voters. The reduction in representation, coupled with the non-participatory process by which this change in election method occurred, warrants an objection. We call on the US DOJ to reject the submitted plan as the jurisdiction has failed to show that the plan will not be retrogressive to African-American voters.

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