A Community Driven Mapping Process
The most recent census data shows Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and AAPI communities account for 27.5% of Pennsylvania’s total population, and as of 2018 its highest law making body – the state Legislature – was 89% white (as well as 75% male).
After conducting a racial growth analysis, we identified key counties that had experienced a tremendous growth in people of color during the last decade: Allegheny, Berks, Delaware, Lancaster, Philadelphia, Reading, and York.
Across these growing counties, we invited community members to submit Community of Interest (COI) Maps and collectively gathered over 700+ submissions that captured where communities exist and why they should be kept together. We compiled the COI Maps into 8 unity maps representing proposed house districts and held nearly 10 feedback sessions to hear directly from communities to ensure these maps reflected their interests while also adhering to constitutional mandates.
After a long and rigorous process of engaging racially and linguistically-diverse community members, we attach our 8 proposed House District Maps from across the commonwealth and respectfully ask the Legislative Reapportionment Commission (LRC) to adopt them as we kick off the legislative mapping process statewide. In order to produce the most equitable and representative maps, it is imperative that we listen to communities that have historically been excluded from the redistricting process.
Community members across the state are showing the LRC how simple creating racially equitable districts can and should be by drawing district maps ourselves. Join us in calling for the commission to develop maps that center our voices.
View our Unity Maps, as well as narratives explaining how they would advance the cause of racial equity here: