Geographical Area
United States
Problem
Gerrymandering, or the practice of drawing electoral district maps to favor one political party over the other, has plagued American democracy for far too long. This practice makes races less competitive for candidates, skews election results, and strips communities of color of their political power. With many of our nation’s most-pressing issues on ballots in local elections, gerrymandered districts are hindering equal representation and systemic, sustainable change.
The movement for fair maps will determine the course of progress on every issue we care about for the next decade. — Barack Obama
Solution
Ahead of 2021, a redistricting year, Andrew Goodman Puffin Democracy Fellow Anna Del Castillo began researching, awareness-raising, and advocating for fair districting through the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which she wrote about in an article published on Ignite. Focused on challenging the “my vote doesn’t count, anyway” belief held by many young people, Anna designed and facilitated the Fair Districts Now! National Day of Advocacy, hosted by The Andrew Goodman Foundation and Ignite on March 5th, 2021. The event featured a teach-in on the history of gerrymandering, an interactive training on how to propose community based solutions, a legislative advocacy training, a panel with experts on fair redistricting, and a call to action encouraging attendees to contact their elected officials to advocate for the passage of The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Listen to Anna present about fair redistricting below.
Get Involved
- Watch Slay the Dragon (available on Hulu) to learn more about the history of gerrymandering!
- Research who is advocating for fair districts in your state to see how you can get involved locally!
- Use your social media platforms to advocate for fair districts!
Project Partners
