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Tonight: Forum Looks at How Redistricting Will Affect Long Island’s Communities of Color

Posted February 6, 2012 by Ted Hesson

At a forum in Brentwood tonight, black, Latino, and immigrant community leaders will address how redistricting will affect Long Island communities of color. The forum will feature speakers from the Long Island Immigrant Alliance, NAACP, La Fuente, and Common Cause NY.

The event will be hosted by the Long Island Civic Engagement Table, Long Island Wins, and Noticia.

See the media advisory below:

MEDIA ADVISORY
February 6, 2012
For Immediate Release

Contact: Daniel Altschuler, Long Island Civic Engagement Table, 917-494-5922

Making Our Votes Count: Latino and African-American Leaders To Hold Forum To Examine How Redistricting Will Affect Long Island’s Communities of Color

What: Community forum to examine the LATFOR re-districting proposals and their implications for Long Island’s communities of color and help community members prepare testimonies for the upcoming public hearing.

When: Tonight, February 6, 6:30pm

Where: 1090 Suffolk Avenue, Brentwood (former site of the Salvadoran Consulate)

Tonight, Latino, immigrant, and African-American leaders and residents will join together at a community forum in Brentwood to discuss the current redistricting process and its implications for Long Island’s communities of color. Experts on redistricting will explain how the proposed political maps currently under review will disenfranchise communities of color, and residents will prepare to demand that the maps be revised to give their communities due consideration.

Ten days ago, the New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR) released proposed maps for the State Assembly and State Senate. According to groups working on the issue, the proposed maps fail to reflect the growing Latino, immigrant, and African-American population, instead making it harder for these communities to influence the election of candidates who are responsive to their needs. This forum will educate community leaders about the redistricting process and provide them with the tools to prepare testimonies for the February 9 public hearing on redistricting.

The forum will feature speakers from the Long Island Immigrant Alliance, NAACP, La Fuente / Long Island Civic Participation Project, and Common Cause New York. The event is being co-hosted by the Long Island Civic Engagement Table, Long Island Wins, and Noticia.