Featured photo: Patrick McNeal, director of North Flint Neighborhood Action Council (NAC) and Athena McKay, executive director for Flint Innovative Solutions (FIS),
Written by Tanya Terry
Two community leaders are among those urging Flint and Genesee County to step out of their comfort zones for an important cause.
As stated on michigan.gov, in November 2018, Michigan voters decisively supported a constitutional amendment that makes a commission of 13 randomly selected citizens responsible for drawing fair and representative election districts for the Michigan Legislature and U.S. Congress. These citizens are not elected politicians, consultants or lobbyists.
Athena McKay, executive director for Flint Innovative Solutions (FIS), and Patrick McNeal, director of North Flint Neighborhood Action Council (NAC), are concerned because they feel strongly that members of our community are not aware of how vital it is for them to take part in the redistricting process at the city, state and county levels. In particular, Michigan Congressional, Michigan State Senate and Michigan State House maps are set to become law December 31, 2021. Michigan residents were given an opportunity to provide input on the proposed maps and even draw maps.
“We had two years to try to get this together from when the law passed, and no one took it that seriously,” McNeal stated. “One of the things about community is that they practice rote. Whatever they’re used to doing on a regular basis, they’ll do it. We’re so used to gerrymandering that we didn’t understand that being a part of the process was something that we could or should do, even though we voted to pass the amendment.
McKay expressed this hasn’t been widely publicized by any of the government officials, or even advocates or community organizations.
“We didn’t do our communities a service by helping them to understand the real importance of what redistricting is and what could happen if it doesn’t go well,” McNeal added.
When the Michigan Independent Redistricting Commission came to Flint, NAC prepared about 20 residents to stand up and give their opinion to the commission.
According to McKay, the most critical thing FIS did was understand the information about redistricting themselves so they could make it understandable to the community.
“We do a lot of tech work or social media influencing or education,” McKay said. “So, we converted or interpreted the maps and the messaging from political speak into common folk speak. We gave calls of action to the community. We created kind of a road map that highlighted steps to take for action.”
FIS and NIC worked collectively amongst a cohort of community organizations.
“We worked with other community organizations to get the word out to their congregations and to their influence or their network,” McKay added. “We also took a bus full of folks to Lansing so they could give public comment there as well.”
McNeal said to them, none of the proposed Michigan State House maps did any community of color any good.
“The original map they proposed cut Flint in half,” McKay said. “There was a north side of Flint and a south side of Flint in two different districts.”
McKay said when this was addressed; the MICRC drafted the Hickory map, which changed the map slightly. This gave many some encouragement.
“But, the map was still not partisan fair, it diminished the Black voting right and we still are fighting for a minority-majority seat where a person of color can actually have some authority to head a committee and bring forth legislation,” McKay added. “Even though we have an African American in the 34th District, she doesn’t have the power to bring forth legislation because there is not a minority-majority district (where one or more racial, ethnic or religious minorities make up the majority of the population).”
McKay said the community has supported Map P7273.
Written comments can be submitted until December 30, and McKay has asked supporters of this map to reference the map in their comments.
“What that does is keep Flint whole,” she said. “So, it’s no longer the 34th district. The 70th and 69th district is what they’re renamed. That particular map does allow for the potential of two seats that would have a minority-majority. The maps that were proposed not only took away the district period. It did not give Flint one vote, and it definitely didn’t give us two. So, with the map we’re proposing we at least have one, with the potential of keeping the second one.”
“My job is to make sure that those folks who I serve have everything they need to make the best decision that they want to make,” McNeal said.
He said he trusts the community to speak for him.
There is a MIRC meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, in Lansing. The public is always welcome to attend and speak at the meetings. Michigan residents can also comment online or provide written comment by mail.
To view the proposed Michigan Congressional, Michigan State Senate and Michigan State House maps and for other information, including meeting times and directions for public comment both virtually and in person, visit https://www.michigan.gov/micrc.
