Town Council juggles growth, minority representation
SUMMERVILLE — A plan to redraw voting districts to reflect the town's rapid growth is running into opposition from council's only black member.
The redistricting plan shrinks the share of black residents in Aaron Brown's district to 35 percent, down from about 50 percent several years ago. Council aims to have the new plan in place before May, when Brown and two other council members are up for re-election.
Brown, a former teacher and insurance salesman, was the only councilman to vote against the plan on first reading last week. He's urging the town to do more homework to boost the minority numbers in his district before the new plan gets final approval at next month's council meeting.
"Personally, I don't think we've explored all the options yet to get the numbers up," Brown said after the vote. "It would be a shame if we have not explored our options and we ship it off to the Justice Department."
Under the Voting Rights Act, U.S. Department of Justice lawyers will review Summerville's plan to make sure the town made its best effort at minority representation, as they did when Charleston County changed its voting districts four years ago.
Summerville has to redraw its districts because the growth spurt has swelled the population of some districts much more than others, contrary to a law that says they all should be similar. Officials say they want to change that before the election to avoid a possible lawsuit.
Brown says the town isn't required to do anything until the next census.
Brown's District 1 includes the traditionally black Brownsville neighborhood on the east side of the tracks from downtown Summerville and the traditionally black Germantown neighborhood off Central Avenue west of downtown. Under the new plan, he will lose some black Germantown residents to Mike Dawson's District 4.
"They're cutting the core out of the apple," Brown said. "There are more questions than answers in this whole thing."
Reactions to the proposal were mixed among residents in Brown's district.
"That's a big hurt," said Sam Greene, a retired state worker who lives in the Brownsville neighborhood. "The smaller we get with all this growth, the more we need somebody to represent us."
But Julia Campbell, an educator who lives downtown, was not overly concerned.
"I believe we all need to learn to get along," she said. "I don't have a problem with it if it's in the best interest of all the people."
Dawson said they've done everything they can to boost the minority percentage in Brown's district while balancing the population in each district at about 7,000 each. The size of Brown's district would double.
"I think we have made our best effort," Dawson said. "The quandary we're in is that as Summerville has grown, there is more of a diverse racial mix throughout the town."
The changing racial mix makes it harder to maintain a minority district, said Bobby Bowers, the director of the state's office of research and statistics, who has been working with the town to redraw the districts.
"It's becoming increasingly difficult with the dispersion of the minority population," Bowers said. "Today's minority populations are moving out into more affluent neighborhoods."
Fort Mill, a growing town near Charlotte that also is looking at redistricting, is facing the same challenge, Bowers said. Hilton Head increased the number of council districts twice to maintain a minority district, he said. That's not been on the table in Summerville.
Summerville's redistricting to balance out population growth is not the same as the political gerrymandering in Texas that ended up before the Supreme Court in 2006, Bowers said. That move was clearly to preserve a Republican majority although the court declined to change it.
Brown is not the only local black politician worrying about the effect of growth on minority representation. Last fall, several black Charleston city councilmen opposed the annexation of the Long Savannah tract, which could clear the way for thousands of new houses. They said it could reduce the number of council districts where black voters are in the majority when district lines are redrawn.
Dorchester County has one predominantly black district, represented by Councilman Willie Davis of Reevesville. That mix is not likely to change soon since that part of the county hasn't been growing like Summerville.
Reach Dave Munday at 745-5862 or dmunday@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
justmythoughts (anonymous) says...
Here's a thought... why not let every vote count the same? Leave race/sex/religion out of it and just let us vote. If you don't alow the public to grow past all this crap we never will.
JustMyThoughts....
October 13, 2008 at 8:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kontact (anonymous) says...
justmy-I wished it was that easy. Being a minority isnt as easy as you state in your post. Too many people have racial or prejudiced views about others (not voting for black man, not voting for woman, etc..)
October 13, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
"It's becoming increasingly difficult with the dispersion of the minority population," Bowers said. "Today's minority populations are moving out into more affluent neighborhoods."
This is awesome! Who wants segregation? I personally don't wanna live in an all______ area.( Fill in that blank with Asian,Hispanic,White,Black,whatever.) I'm blessed to live in a neighborhood with blacks,whites,indians,asian and thats just people on my street! The council boards,etc should look as much like a melting pot as possible. But it is impossible to include every race.
October 13, 2008 at 10:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
localboy (anonymous) says...
And now the rest of the story . . .
I called a feller that went to the first meeting at Town Hall on this subject - you Councilmen know who he is because he was the only one there not on payroll) and got a little better picture than is reported here. This is my take on his comments:
Brown's district has proved that we Southern folks aren't as bad as some folks believe - it has become integrated - and as a result the minority population is down nearly 16% in that district. According to my buddy Bobby Bowers - district drawer extraordinaire (Hey, Bobby!) and his helper brought a plan that evenly divided the districts but put Brown in a 33% minority district. Ricky Waring (I'm sure not being altruistic) gave up some of his "new district" to bring Brown's numbers to 35% - a little gerrymandering but not too much.
Now the sad part here is that apparently the discussion went to
"Why don't we wait until the census?" after being told they could be sued and would likely lose if they waited (Bowers is the best in the country at drawing districts that withstand legal challenges because he know the law and obeys it!!).
If Brown was truly interested in representative government he would accept the district as drawn within census blocks and not extremely gerrymandered and REPRESENT all the citizens in that block - Black, White and Green. just think a politician actually representing his constituents instead of his special interests - maybe Brown could take lessons from Mike Dawson and Bob Jackson on that point.
So Aaron, do you really not want to represent folks who happen to have a different skin color? Just a question.
Still not Mike Rose but still supporting him instead of the liberal Democrat running against him!
October 13, 2008 at 10:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HighDef (anonymous) says...
he wants all black neighborhoods to represent, this is the stuff that moves us backwards. This man may be a great councilmen ? but this sounds like something Kwaenjo Campbell would try to pull off. Are the developers in Summerville greasing the councilmen's pocket's yet ?
October 13, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
"Today's minority populations are moving out into more affluent neighborhoods."
Well, duh!
Wasn't that the point of the Civil Rights Movement?
That minorities would have the same opportunities for success as others?
This talk of gerrymandering for a 'minority' district is extremely shortsighted and only gives credence to the idea that somehow minorities aren't smart enough or successful enough to live where they want and still be represented in the political process.
Mr. Brown you do your constituents a disservice by fighting this battle. If your motives were truly altruistic you would want to represent ALL in your district.
As it stands, the White voters of your district should feel very slighted indeed.
October 13, 2008 at 11:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kontact (anonymous) says...
Politicians just seem to be corrupt, demo or repub. It just doesnt seem to matter. I think I am going to run for office in the next couple of years cause I am tired of this nonsense. I prob could get lots of support because Im black but a lil conservative. I said a lil. Some social issues im liberal, I just think our policies needs more oversight due to people taking advantage of the system (welfare moms not working and continueing to have kids!!, etc...). Fiscal issues Im ususally conservative. Taxes are killing me cause I make pretty good income (well above average). Anyone here wanna help manage my election? :)
October 13, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Carolina_Politics (anonymous) says...
Why does Brown deserve to have a district carved out specifically for him just because of the color of his skin? It's his responsibility as a city councilman to represent all of his constituents, not just the ones that look the way he does. We are long passed the days of Jim Crow in this country. The idea that certain racial groups need to have a representative of the same racial makeup as themself is archaic. Are we or are we not all Americans? People like Councilman Brown will preach to you the need for a color blind society, but those same people will be the first ones to keep the divisions intact.
http://www.carolinapoliticsonline.com...
October 13, 2008 at 12:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MR_PRETTY (anonymous) says...
double edge sword, Mr. Brown you don't have to be affraid. White people starting to see that as a black person, you are awakening and you are now educated to lead. President Obama is the best example of this. If you don't laugh like a hyenna and act like an uncle Tom around them they will vote for who ever will do something for them. Now that white folks know that we understand voting and we want whats best in our interest they will will be less likely to not vote against you for someone else just for the fact that that person is white. Black people, look directly into their eyes and tell them what you really think! one more thing. yall stop all that skinin and grinnin for white folks, you look so slaveryish when you do that.
October 13, 2008 at 3:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
mr. pretty: slaveryish?
Are you serious?
So to not automatically be for gerrymandering is 'shuckin & jivin' for the white man?
come on.
You cannot demand or expect respect if you demand or expect special consideration based solely on race.
This is what Mr. Brown is proposing. He wants to have the districts redrawn so he has a predominantly Black constituency. How does that help the White, Asian, Indigenous or Hispanic voters in his district?
By crying foul over this issue he has played RIGHT INTO THE HANDS of the racists and bigots who seek to turn back all of the strides our people have made.
Skinnin' & grinnin'?
Negro please...
If there is ANYONE who's skinnin' & grinnin' or shuckin' & jivin' it's Mr. Brown.
He's asking the White Man to change the rules as to represent the Black folk as if he is the only that can.
If he was truly awakened and educated he would jump at the chance to represent a DIVERSE constituency thereby showing the world he, a Black Man, can be a capable and fair political representative.
Now THAT would mirror what Senator Obama is trying to achieve.
October 13, 2008 at 9:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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