Redistricting

And now let’s take a look at the Tunica County Redistricting Committee’s report turned into the Board of Supervisors on 31 May 2011. Subtitle: “Uncracking the Town of Tunica by Reuniting Communities of Interest.”

Don’t know what “uncracking” means? I didn’t either. Here is the definition of “cracking” provided by Southern Echo. “Cracking is a redistricting device by which concentrations of Black or Latino voters are divided up or fragmented among several districts or wards, to prevent the community of color from winning enough seats to gain a majority of votes on a municipal or county board, or to win enough seats at the state level, to impact the formation of public policy.”

How is this possible? The 2010 Census tells us that Tunica County, MS is 73.5% Black and 23.7% White. Therefore, this “cracking” business is impossible in Tunica County.

Let’s read further into the Tunica County Redistricting Committee’s report and maybe we will find what is really being suggested.

1. There is the suggestion that the Black or Latino citizens are being placed in districts “with Whites with high income and more education” and that “voter turnout is affected by the level of income and education. People with less income and education tend not to vote to the same extent as those with more income and education.” And you know this how? Every American has a chance to improve their circumstances. Take a look at who is living in our White House. Additionally, there are no tests for income or education attached to a person’s right to vote. Redistricting has nothing to do with these quoted statements.

2. There is also the suggestion that Tunica County residents needed to be divided into “communities of interest.” Apparently, this means that in the White community we attend the same churches, our children attend the same schools, we use the same recreational facilities and we eat in the same restaurants. Further, according to this report the Black community would do the same…attend the same churches, same schools, and same recreational facilities and eat in the same restaurants. Says who? What a divisive attitude.

I will say this regarding Tunica County Recreational Facilities. Since 2008, Tunicans for Transparency in Government has been asking the Board of Supervisors to have a weekly schedule of what is going on at the Rec advertised in the Tunica Times. By not doing so, it is my opinion that the Board of Supervisors is contributing to the activities not being marketed to all of the residents of Tunica County.

Back to the original discussion:

In the first paragraph of this report from the Tunica County Redistricting Committee is the following: “The committee has attempted to be transparent and inclusive in the development of community plan 1a.” Really? I didn’t know about it. The President of the Tunica County Branch of the NAACP didn’t know about it. It wasn’t advertised in the Tunica Times. Afterwards, I did hear these meetings were held at the G. W. Recreational Facility.

Tunicans for Transparency in Government advertises their meetings in the Tunica Times. And every adult resident of Tunica County is welcome.