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(Washington, D.C.) – To train college students, professors and community partners as redistricting experts and give them the appropriate tools to advocate for fair redistricting and electoral boundaries, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law launched the Participatory Redistricting Project (PRP) to combine census outreach and redistricting public education. The Participatory Redistricting Project, in partnership with the National Conference of Black Political Scientists, holds workshops with 14 colleges and universities, and teaches those involved about the impact of redistricting on racial and ethnic minority communities, and how to get involved with the redistricting process at every government level through public education and training, and advocacy.  

Redistricting is essential to voting rights and electoral representation for historically underrepresented groups, and students have an integral role to play in the redistricting process since many of them live on college campuses that have been the targets of unfair redistricting practices. PRP teaches students and community partners how to draw fair electoral plans, provide public comment and submit their own plans at state and local hearings, thereby providing analysis of how redistricting plans will impact their communities. Since electoral districts represent voters, community input is necessary to this process. 

“Community power and resource allocation are about to be decided for the next decade, and we need students and community members to lead and advocate for fair electoral boundaries that represent their communities and their shared interests,” said Fred McBride, a redistricting and voting rights policy specialist with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “Community input is vital to this process, and by mobilizing college campuses and student leaders with community activists, we can help ensure that historically underrepresented groups receive fair political representation. During the 2020 election, we saw record overall turnout and youth engagement, and we now have an opportunity to build on that, which is critical during this defining moment for our democracy.” 

Colleges and universities in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee were the first to engage in this program with the national Lawyers’ Committee. The goal of the project is to draw plans, in partnership with community members, that can be presented to the appropriate legislative bodies. 

Although redistricting data is not expected to be released until September 2021, PRP started early to prepare participants and will eventually advance to more robust training and advocacy to increase community engagement and fully participate in redistricting hearings, assisting communities in demanding inclusion in this important process. 

 

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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and hate crimes.  For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org.