4111 West 21st Place

Chicago, IL 60623
Phone: 773-521-3137
Fax: 773-522-1832

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)

LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN

DISTRICT 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