[WestMALocals] Fw: [AriseAction] Ward Representation Lawsuit

[Owen Broadhurst]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tory Field" <toryfield at yahoo.com>
To: ariseaction at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [AriseAction] Ward Representation Lawsuit
Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 20:49:05 -0700 (PDT)

> 
> (please forward to your lists)
> 
> This Tuesday, April 5th, at 11:30am community members and 
> organizations in Springfield will meet at city hall steps to 
> announce our filing of a voting rights lawsuit against the city. 
> For many years Arise, together with other community groups, has 
> been fighting to change Springfield's election system for city 
> council and school committee from the outdated and racist at-large 
> system to ward representation. The at-large system, which has been 
> used in Springfield since 1961, is a violation of civil voting 
> rights, and has allowed further civil rights violations, social 
> injustices, and political corruption to flourish in the city.  
> Because the city council has proven that they will not make this 
> change, regardless of the community's overwhelming support, we have 
> taken it upon ourselves to ask the courts to declare at-large 
> voting a violation of the Voting Rights Act, and therefore, illegal 
> in Springfield.
> 
> Please come out to show your support of this crucial struggle for 
> justice in Springfield! This is structural change - not only about 
> the right to vote and have it count - but also the opportunity to 
> create further change, once communities of color and poor 
> communities are justly represented in local government.
> 
> 
> For more information, please call Tory at Arise (413)734-4948, or 
> (413)297-6005.
> 
> 
> 
> Some facts about how the at-large voting system effects Springfield:
> 
> - In the last 10 years, 51% of the city councilors have come from 
> one ward (out of eight total), the wealthiest, and most 
> predominately white area in the city.
> - In the last 10 years, NO ONE on city council has come from wards 
> 1(North End), 3 (South End), 4 (Mason Square), or 8 (Indian 
> Orchard). Each of these wards has large communities of color.
> - In a city that is over 55% people of color, there is currently 
> one African-American and one Latino on the nine member council.
> -To represent a school district that is 50% Latino, 28% 
> African-American, and 19% White, there is currently one 
> African-American and no Latinos on the six member school committee.
> 
> - Latino candidates for City Council consistently and 
> overwhelmingly win in Ward 1, and African-American candidates win 
> in Ward 4 and often Ward 5.  However, these candidates are denied 
> seats on the Council because of the at-large system.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tory Field
> Arise for Social Justice
> 94 Rifle St.
> Springfield, MA. 01105
> 413-734-4948
> torylf at hotmail.com
-- 
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