Hello comrades,

Denver City Council's redistricting process is in full swing, and council is gathering community input on their six sponsored maps. (They'll vote to finalize the new districts on March 29.)

We need your help to push council to choose the only map that was created with a rigorous framework prioritizing equity: not diluting, concentrating, or stacking power against historically marginalized voters; considering Census undercounts in marginalized areas; and considering past and future growth trends.

But this won't be easy. Our priority map (Map A, sponsored by Councilwoman CdeBaca) is up against maps that have been created in a way that mostly favors white, wealthy communities. Specifically, Map D -- sponsored by councilmembers Clark (D7), Herndon (D8), Kashmann (D9), Hinds (D10), Black (D4), and Gilmore (D11) -- is extra problematic:

It was created by the councilmembers who conducted the least community training/outreach on redistricting
The map adds whiter, wealthier neighborhoods of North Park Hill and South Park Hill into D9, a historically minority-majority district to dilute the voices of the predominantly Black and Brown voices in the rest of the district which can be construed as cracking.
It allows D2, D4, D7 and D8 to stack whiter, wealthier residents against minority residents. It leaves predominantly whiter and wealthier districts of D2, D6 and D4 underpopulated knowing growth trends will lead to LEAST growth in those areas.
It makes the areas with highest growth trends (and minority-majority status) and current overpopulation START OFF with overpopulation (over 65,000 goal) which can be construed as packing.
Shields whiter, wealthier populations from challenges of growth by allowing them to remain virtually the same shape they have been since the 1960s.
It also splits Capitol Hill (an identified community of interest) in half, diluting the voices of a largely renter, working-class population.
Having 6 councilmembers on a single map prior to community meetings suggests that map is a foregone conclusion

Because of the delays in the 2020 census, the City Council redistricting process is moving much faster than normal, and there's been less time for the public to weigh in. City Council has held two virtual and one in-person sessions to get community feedback on maps, and the rest of the sessions will be in-person (with abysmal attendance numbers). So we need to act NOW to show council that Denverites will not accept a gerrymandered map that disenfranchises our marginalized communities.

Use this template & these talking points to email your city council members now! Using this link!

In solidarity,

Your electoral committee

P.S. Ready to fight to improve the material conditions of our community? Not sure what DDSA is doing or what campaigns are happening? Check out http://bit.ly/DDSA-running-info for up to date information on actions like this one and our ongoing campaigns.