By Monica McInnis

Jackson Advocate Guest Writer

(Originally published in the August 16, 2024, issue of the Psychedelic Literature Newsletter.)

Based on 2020 Census data, the Jackson, Mississippi, City Council was tasked with redrawing current ward boundaries in a process known as redistricting. However, the redistricting process was primarily focused on the city council’s interests rather than the needs of the community. The community was not given a fair chance to participate in the process, with the majority of meetings being held in another city. Sadly, this lack of transparency or their lack of concern for the citizens is not new.

Rather than holding multiple meetings within the Jackson city limits, the council chose to hold those meetings in Rankin County, a place known to be hostile to Jackson’s citizens and the advancement of the city. The company hired to redraw the city maps claimed that their software could not be transported, despite it being an online tool available for redistricting. The fact of the matter is that it is common for map drawing and redistricting equipment and software to be transported. This lack of community involvement is concerning, especially in a city where 80% of the population is African American with 5 African Americans on the city council. It seems that the vast majority of the council wanted to ensure that the city’s citizens were not involved in the process.

One of the criteria for redistricting is to consider communities of interest, which is “a neighborhood, community, or group of people who have common policy concerns and would benefit from being maintained in a single district. Another way of understanding a community of interest is that it is simply a way for a community to tell its own story about what neighbors share in common, and what makes it unique when compared to surrounding communities. They are defined by the local community members” (“Rules of Redistricting”). 

Over the years, forces outside Jackson have worked to influence how the city is districted, which creates fragmented communities that function to limit the city’s ability to grow and prosper. As such, this process was an opportunity to make neighborhoods whole again. For instance, Cedar Hills neighborhood was split between Ward 4 and 6, and now that neighborhood is all a part of one ward now. However, the Queens community was not given a voice in the process and remains fragmented. Former Councilwoman Angelique Lee of Ward 2 claimed to have spoken with the community, but when I spoke to several citizens in the Queens neighborhood, they expressed that it did not matter which councilperson represented them as long as they were fairly represented.

Former Councilwoman Lee and Councilmen Aaron Banks and Vernon Hartley agreed to delay the redistricting process on June 17, but at a special meeting on August 12, Councilman Hartley of Ward 5 was the only councilperson advocating for public participation and viewing of the new map. Councilman Banks of Ward 6 insisted that the process must be completed immediately, even though the municipal election is not until 2025. Clearly, Councilman Banks and the majority of the council were not interested in having community involvement with the process.

Moreover, Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay of Ward 7 made it clear that she would not relinquish any business section of the city, which includes downtown Jackson, three hospitals, the airport, and most of north Jackson’s business district. She has the longest ward, stretching from Northeast Jackson to Byram. When Councilman Hartley inquired about the Farish Street District, which is the historic Black business district, being in his ward, Councilwoman Lindsay stated that she had met with downtown business partners who did not want representation which looked like that. It is disheartening that 80% of the businesses in this area are patronized by people of color; yet, they cannot get representation that fights for their interests. Furthermore, Councilwoman Lindsay also stated, as the board president, that she will not allow public hearings for the citizens to view the map or make comments before the adoption of the map, making it clear that she has no desire for Jackson’s citizens to be heard and fairly represented.

It is important to note that redistricting has long-term effects on the community, as ward boundaries are generally drawn once every 10 years. As the 2025 elections approach, we hope that citizens are paying attention to the decisions being made by the Jackson City Council. It is crucial for the community to have a voice in this process and for their needs to be considered. In this case, the citizens of Jackson were silenced by the very people who were elected to serve them. It causes one to wonder just whose interests the city council is serving.

McInnis is the program manager for One Voice, where she serves as a Census specialist, political mapmaker, voting and redistricting expert and educator, community organizer, and all around hell raiser for the people.