WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, March 10th, The NCBCP Black Women’s Roundtable and National Council of Negro Women will convene over 40 national civil rights, labor, faith, youth, women’s rights and economic and social justice organizations for a Speak Out at the steps of the United States Supreme Court from 10:00am - 11:30am EST.  

The Speak Out will occur during The Black Women’s Roundtable National Women of Power Summit taking place from March 9th - 13th.  

Thursday’s mobilization is part of an ongoing series of “Black Women Leaders and Allies Take Action” events Voting Rights & Economic Justice to originally rally support for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and other federal voting rights legislation, as well as the Build Back Better Act. Thursday’s focus is meant to build momentum and urgency for the Senate to provide a swift, unbiased and fair confirmation process for President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court Nominee, Judge Ketanji Brown.

Thursday’s Speak Out is open to the press and will be livestreamed on the following platforms: www.facebook.com/NCBCP/ and #RolandMartinUnfiltered.

Additional national partners include: NARAL Pro-Choice America, Sierra Club, American Federation of Teachers, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights, Alliance for Justice, Demand Justice, 100 Black Men of America, National Education Association, Sister Song, Moms Rising, A Phillip Randolph Institute, SEIU, National Organization for Women, Jewish Women International, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Council of Jewish Women, Supermajority, Higher Heights, National Domestic Workers Alliance, Feminist Majority, ERA Coalition, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, Center for American Progress, American Federation of Teachers, Human Rights & Community Relations, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc., Chums, Inc., Continental Societies, Inc., Delicados, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Eta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., Knights of Peter Claver, Ladies Auxiliary, Lambda Kappa Mu Sorority, Las Amigas, Inc., Les Gemmes, Inc., National Association of Negro Business & Prof. Women's Clubs, National Association of University Women, National Bar Association, Women Lawyers Division, National Black Nurses Association, Inc., National Coalition of 100 Black Women, National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Incorporated, National Women of Achievement, Inc., Order of the Eastern Stars, National Grand Chapter, National Supreme Council, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Grand Chapter, Swing Phi Swing, Social Fellowship, Inc., Tau Gamma Delta Sorority, The Charmettes, Inc., The Links Incorporated and The Links Foundation Incorporated, Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., Woman's Home & Overseas Missionary Society, A.M.E. Zion, Women's Missionary Council, C.M.E. Church, Women's Missionary Society, A.M.E. Church, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) is one of the most active civil rights and social justice organizations in the nation “dedicated to increasing civic engagement, economic and voter empowerment in Black America.” The Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR) is the women and girls empowerment arm of the NCBCP. At the forefront of championing just and equitable public policy on behalf of Black women, BWR promotes their health and wellness, economic security & prosperity, education and global empowerment as key elements for success.

The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) is an “organization of organizations” (comprised of 330 campus and community-based sections and 32 national women’s organizations) that enlightens, inspires and connects more than 2,000,000 women and men. Its mission is to lead, advocate for, and empower women of African descent, their families and communities. NCNW promotes education with a special emphasis on science, technology, art, engineering, and math (S.T.E.A.M.); encourages entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and economic stability; educates women concerning health equity; promotes civic engagement, sound public policy, and social justice For more information, please visit www.ncnw.org

BATON ROUGE — Today, Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed the congressional redistricting map drawn by Louisiana’s Legislature because it does not add a second majority minority district and runs afoul of federal law. He also announced that he will not sign the state House and Senate district maps passed in the recent redistricting session, allowing them to become law without his approval, and that he has signed into law maps that designated new districts for the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Louisiana Public Service Commission.

Out of the 163 total districts created by the Legislature in the various bills passed, not a single additional majority minority seat was created, despite the fact that the percentage of the black population increased and the white population decreased.

Gov. Edwards said:

“Today, after careful consideration, review, discussion with legislators, and consultation with voting rights experts, I have vetoed the proposed congressional map drawn by Louisiana’s Legislature because it does not include a second majority African American district, despite Black voters making up almost a third of Louisianans per the latest U.S. Census data. This map is simply not fair to the people of Louisiana and does not meet the standards set forth in the federal Voting Rights Act. The Legislature should immediately begin the work of drawing a map that ensures Black voices can be properly heard in the voting booth. It can be done and it should be done.

While neither the congressional or legislative maps passed by Louisiana’s Legislature do anything to increase the number of districts where minority voters can elect candidates of their choosing, I do not believe the Legislature has the ability to draw new state House and Senate maps during this upcoming legislative session without the process halting the important work of the state of Louisiana. At a time when we face unprecedented challenges, but have unprecedented opportunities to make historic investments in our future, the Legislature should be focused on the issues in the upcoming session and not concerned about what their own districts will look like in the 2023 elections.

I have signed the maps for the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Louisiana Public Service Commission because I believe those maps provide a fairer representation of Louisiana than the other maps that were passed.”

This is a developing story. More information will be added.

NEW ORLEANS (3/5/2022) - These draft maps are examples of where district boundaries could change, but public input is still needed to create the final map.

While all of the draft maps present a total population that is balanced between the council districts, they each accomplish this in a different way and are meant to be a starting point for further discussion.

To ask questions, share ideas, or learn more about the process, you can get in touch with us in several ways:

Website: https://council.nola.gov/redistricting

Comment Line: (504) 620-0036

Email Address: [email protected]

Please comment soon! The New Orleans City Council must adopt the final redistricting map no later than March 16, 2022.

Para encontrar más información sobre la redistribución de distritos de Nueva Orleans en español, visite: council.nola.gov/redistricting

Để tìm thêm thông tin về tái phân vùng của New Orleans bằng Tiếng Việt, vui lòng truy cập: council.nola.gov/redistricting

Redistricting is the process of drawing electoral boundaries that takes place on state and local levels every ten years directly following the release of new United States Census data.

Section 3-103(2) of New Orleans' Home Rule Charter requires that the City Council redistrict itself within six months after the updated U.S. Census population numbers for New Orleans are released. This year, the final redistricting maps must be adopted by the Council no later than March 16.

Redistricting determines which neighborhoods and communities are grouped together into a district for purposes of electing a member of the City Council. Redistricting also helps ensure that one neighborhood does not have a significantly higher number of voters than another district.

Redistricting must be done in compliance with all local, state, and federal laws, including the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. Districts must be “population balanced”.

To the extent feasible, district lines will be adopted using the following criteria:

The City Council has created the Redistricting Engagement Portal and will post announcements, events, maps, and other relevant information to this dedicated redistricting web page. The City Council will also provide public notices prior to key steps in the redistricting process.

To keep the public informed, the Council will:

The public will be invited to view and leave comments during public meetings. Alternatively, you can submit comments by end-of-day March 9, 2022, in the following ways:

COMMENTARY (3/4/2022) - The governor of Louisana has a unique chance to ensure that Black Louisianans have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect candidates of their choice to Congress. That’s why the ACLU and our coalition partners in the region are calling on Gov. Jon Bel Edwards to veto the proposed congressional and state legislative districting plans, submitted to his office by the Louisiana State Legislature.

HB 1 and SB 5, the proposed congressional districting plans passed by the Louisiana State Legislature, as well as HB 14 and SB 1, the proposed state legislative plans, violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The new maps fail to provide Black voters in Louisiana an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect candidates of their choice. The failures of the maps are particularly concerning because of the population growth and shifts in Louisiana over the last 10 years.

According to the new Census data, the number of Black people in Louisiana increased by 3.78 percent between 2010 and 2020. And the total number of Black Louisiana residents over the age of 18 — the Black Voting Age Population (BVAP) — increased by 7.21 percent. Furthermore, Louisiana’s total population growth since 2010 was driven by growth in minority populations. For example, per the 2020 Census data, in the Shreveport area (including Bossier, Caddo, and De Soto Parishes), the overall population decreased by 1.3 percent, but the region’s Black population grew by 2.14 percent.

Under the current congressional district maps, Black Louisianans are severely underrepresented. Louisiana’s voting-age population is nearly one-third Black; however, Black voters in Louisiana only have an opportunity to elect candidates of their choice in one of the six congressional districts (i.e., 16.7 percent of the districts).

Under the current state legislative district maps, just 37 out of the 144 (25.69 percent) members of the Louisiana Legislature are Black, even though Black residents comprise 33.1 percent of the state’s population. Of these Black legislative members, all but one were elected from single-member majority-minority districts. And that single outlying district has a BVAP close to 50 percent, which is high enough to make it possible for Black voters to elect their candidate of choice. This is a direct consequence of the configuration of Louisiana’s legislative districts.

The 2020 congressional election results reflect the state’s racially polarized voting patterns. In the five districts comprised of a majority of white voters, there were three elections in which voters had a choice between Black and white congressional candidates. In each, the white majority elected white candidates, defeating the Black-preferred candidates and underscoring the importance of enacting more majority-minority districts.

Under the current congressional and state legislative maps, Black voters in Louisiana have less opportunity to elect candidates of their choice than white voters. Instead of using the redistricting process as an opportunity to correct the long-standing dilution of Black voting strength in Louisiana, the state legislature introduced HB 1, SB 5, HB 14, and SB 1, all of which would further entrench and exacerbate the dilution of Black voting strength in the state over the next 10 years.

In all 50 states, especially Louisiana, representation is important. It not only promotes the trust needed for the successful relationship between governors and the governed in any democratic society, but also promotes fairness. To live up to the tenets of a representative democracy, the Louisiana State Legislature must reflect the richly diverse population it serves.

To register to vote in Louisiana you must:

Registering to vote or changing your registration is easy using the GeauxVote Online Registration System.

Voting is your right! Ensure you are #VoteReady at unitycampaign.org. #VoterRegistrationDay #FreedomtoVote

Louisiana Unity Coalition/Black Women's Roundtable encourage you to Register Today.

Dear Readers,

This past year has been one of the immense challenges. It was one marked by loss, pain and a series of events that tested our nation’s moral character. Despite the unprecedented turbulence, we also experienced glimmers of hope as our nation, led by Black women, elected the first Black and South Asian Vice President of the United States; and saw black women in Georgia, and throughout the country, lead a historic shift in political power.

Our 2021 BWR Report, “Black Women in the U. S. 2020: Priorities, Policy & Power,” is focused on lifting up the issues and policy priorities that impact the lives of Black women, our families and communities. The contributors represent an intergenerational group of some of our nation’s most powerful

Black women leaders and experts in their fields---who not only outline the problems facing Black women, but also share solutions and policies designed to address them at their core. This year’s report also includes a special section where Black women share their personal stories of the impact COVID19 is having on their lives.

The findings of this year’s report could not be any more timely. As we enter a

new chapter in our nation’s history, we have an unprecedented opportunity to shape the health and wealth of our communities. The Honorable Barbara

Jordan once said “What the people want is simple. They want an America

as Good as it’s promise.” --The ideas and solutions laid out in this report are designed to deliver on that promise by recognizing our collective power to engage and shape the national agenda under the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation’s 45th Anniversary and Black Women’s Roundtable 2021 Theme---Rebuilding Hope, Justice, Equity and Equality!

As we read through the various essays in this report, we are reminded of the influence of Black women’s leadership, knowledge and political power that gives life to these policies. In the midst of an unprecedented public health crisis and nefarious challenges to our democracy that saw our communities disproportionately impacted, we stood together to protect our communities and exercise our right to vote. We advocated for the issues that were most important to us and we executed strategies to lift ourselves and overcome the

policies that have left us marginalized and disenfranchised.

This report is published with the knowledge of what we accomplished over the past year and optimism for the new opportunities that present themselves in the New Biden-Harris Administration and 117th Congress. As you read this report, know that we stand at the beginning of a new chapter. The decisions we make, the policies we commit to and the strategies we design, will set a

trajectory for our nation and the world community for decades to come.

If this past election has confirmed anything, it is that whenever there is a crossroads in history---black women will always come to the frontlines and answer the call. Not only did Black women show up, but we also organized, led, advocated and shifted power.

So, as we look to change the world, let’s follow the ideas and influence of

Black women.

In Solidarity,

Melanie L. Campbell

President & CEO, NCBCP & Convener,

Black Women’s Roundtable

@coalitionbuildr

...

A. Avis Jones-DeWeever, Ph.D.

Co-Editor, 2021 BWR Annual Report

Board Member and Senior Policy

Advisor, NCBCP/BW

CEO, The Exceptional Leadership Institute for Women

Dr. Elsie Scott

Co-Editor, 2021 BWR Annual Report

Secretary of the Board, NCBCP

Founding Director, Ronald W. Walters

Leadership & Public Policy Center @ Howard University

The Louisiana Unity Coalition is an affiliate of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), is a 501©3, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to increasing civic engagement and voter participation in Black and underserved communities. The National Coalition has a national membership of organizations representing a diverse constituency base including civil rights, labor, and business organizations; fraternities and sororities; women, youth, educators, faith leaders, public policy makers, researchers, and others.

The National Coalition was founded on May 6, 1976. For nearly 40 years, The National Coalition has served as an effective convener and facilitator at the local, state, and national levels of efforts to address the disenfranchisement of underserved and other marginalized communities through civic engagement including: ​

As a State affiliate, we serve as the lead entity for NCBCP's local initiatives which engage state-based organizations to lead, organize and implement non-partisan efforts centered around Voter Engagement, Registration, Assistance & Voter Protection. Activities include Field & Online Outreach; Poll Monitor Recruitment Drive; Get Out the Vote (GOTV) Campaign; Debate Watch Parties, Spill the Tea & Field Outreach events among others.

The National Coalition strives to create an enlightened community by engaging people in all aspects of public life through service/volunteerism, advocacy, leadership development, and voting.

The Black Women's Roundtable (BWR) is the women and girls leadership development, mentoring, intergenerational empowerment & power building arm of The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.

The BWR promotes health and wellness, economic security & sustainability, education and global empowerment as key elements for success. BWR established its Intergenerational Policy Network in 2008, which is comprised of a diverse group of Black women civic leaders representing international, national, regional, and state-based organizations and institutions. Together, the BWR membership represents the issues and concerns of women and girls who live across the United States and around the world.

To learn more about the Louisiana Unity Coalition's Black Women's Roundtable, contact Louisiana's BWR Convener Gwendolyn Hughes at [email protected].

Black Youth Vote! (BYV) is the youth-led civic engagement arm of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. Black Youth Vote’s mission is to train, invest and provide Black youth and young adults with civic engagement, organizing and civic leadership opportunities------focused on Millennials, Generation Z and Returning Citizens (18 – 35 yrs. old). Black Youth Vote! is focused on leveraging the power of the black youth electorate to make positive social change and win on the issues they care about in their communities, including: racial & economic justice, college affordability, criminal justice/policing reform, affordable health care, workers’ rights, voting rights, human rights and more! For more information visit:

www.unitycampaign.org.