4111 West 21st Place

Chicago, IL 60623
Phone: 773-521-3137

Fax: 773-522-1832

Public Testimony to the

Illinois House Redistricting Committee
Presented by Valerie F. Leonard
May 22, 2011

Good afternoon. My name is Valerie Leonard. I am a resident of North Lawndale and Co-
Founder of the Lawndale Alliance. The Lawndale Alliance is a neighborhood association of
local residents who come together on an ad hoc basis to address issues of concern to the
community through grassroots community organizing, advocacy and community outreach.

We would like to thank the House Redistricting Committee for hosting this forum and for fully
considering concerns voiced by the Lawndale Alliance during previous hearings. We have had
the opportunity to review the House’s proposed maps, and have outlined outstanding issues
below.

Issues
1. Legislature’s Proposal Provides Less than Optimal Opportunity for African
Americans on Chicago’s West Side and Western Suburbs to Elect Candidates of
Their Choice.

We are very pleased that you have honored our request to keep the North Lawndale and
East and West Garfield communities essentially intact, and have created proposed
Representative Districts 9 and 10 with a majority of their populations being African
American. However, we are concerned that the Legislature’s proposal effectively creates
2 African American majority districts and 2 African American coalition districts, as
opposed to maintaining 4 majority African American districts that currently exist on the
West Side. Maps developed by the United Congress of Community and Religious
Organizations (UCCRO) have shown that it is possible to draw 4 majority African
American Representative districts for Chicago’s West Side and Western Suburbs.

As demonstrated in Tables 1 and 2 below, Census data for 2010 and 2000 indicate that
Chicago’s 4 West Side majority African American Representative Districts were created
in 2000 with African American voting age population (VAP) percentages ranging from
56.33%-60.93%. In 2010, the total African American population percentages for these
districts ranged from 51.89%-57.32%. The Legislature’s proposal creates a new
Representative District 8 with an African American VAP percentage of 52.05%, and a
new District 10 with an African American VAP percentage of 50. 61%. The
Legislature’s proposal also creates what are effectively 2 African American coalition

1|Page Public Testimony to the Illinois House Redistricting Committee

Presented by Valerie F. Leonard, May 22, 2011
 districts—Representative District 7--with an African American VAP percentage of
44.83% and Representative District 9 with an African American VAP percentage of
49.73%. (See Table 3) If given a choice between having 4 majority African American
representative districts or 2 majority African American representative districts and 2
African American coalition representative districts, we prefer to have 4 majority African
American representative districts.

Table 1. 2000 Demographic Data for Existing Chicago West Side Districts

House Voting Black %VAP Latino %VAP Asian %VAP

District Total Pop. Age Pop. % VAP VAP Black VAP Latino VAP Asian
7 105,249 75,524 71.76% 43,551 57.67% 6,797 9.00% 1,891 2.50%
8 105,248 72,443 68.83% 43,160 59.58% 6,798 9.38% 1,416 1.95%
9 105,248 74,260 70.56% 45,243 60.93% 7,150 9.63% 5,542 7.46%
10 105,249 74,886 71.15% 42,184 56.33% 7,146 9.54% 890 1.19%

Source : Illinois Speaker of the House Redistricting Website http://clients.ecampaigning.com/ilr/data/currieii_vap.htm

Table 2. 2010 Demographic Data for Existing Chicago West Side Districts

House 2010 Census Data

District Total Pop Black Pop % Black Latino Pop % Latino Asian Pop % Asian
7 97,427 55,769 57.24% 17,074 17.52% 2,030 2.80%
8 94,072 53,921 57.32% 18,040 19.18% 1,760 1.87%
9 112,861 58,563 51.89% 10,719 9.50% 10,120 8.97%
10 95,447 51,405 53.86% 12,137 12.72% 1,825 1.91%
Source: ILGA

Table 3. 2010 Demographic Data for ILGA Proposed Chicago West Side Districts

ILGA House Proposed Voting Rights Districts

BLACK ASIAN
DISTRICT LATINO LATINO VAP BLACK VAP ASIAN VAP WHITE WHITE VAP
007 14.58% 12.29% 45.59% 44.83% 2.58% 2.77% 35.71% 38.98%
008 13.37% 11.61% 52.51% 52.05% 1.72% 1.89% 30.81% 33.33%
009 8.20% 7.89% 55.52% 49.73% 7.64% 9.09% 26.72% 31.52%
010 13.55% 12.45% 54.67% 50.61% 1.90% 2.25% 28.40% 33.35%

Source: UCCRO

2|Page Public Testimony to the Illinois House Redistricting Committee

Presented by Valerie F. Leonard, May 22, 2011
 As you can see from Table 4, the United Congress of Community and Religious
Organizations (UCCRO) has been able to demonstrate the potential to draw 4 majority
African American districts on Chicago’s West Side with African American VAP
percentages ranging from 50.69% to 56.40%. We respectfully request that you consider
amending your proposal to optimize the potential for African Americans in
Representative Districts 7, 8, 9 and 10 to elect candidates of their choice. We also urge
you to adopt UCCRO’s proposed Unity Map, which provides 56 majority-minority,
coalition and influence districts around the state of Illinois. The Unity Map, more than
any other proposal in the State, respects minority communities of interest and optimizes
opportunities for us to elect candidates of our choice.

Table 4. 2010 Demographic Data for UCCRO Proposed Chicago West Side Districts

UCCRO Proposed House Voting Rights Districts

DISTRICT POPULATION LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN LATINO 18+ WHITE 18+ BLACK 18+ ASIAN 18+
7 108,733 17.22% 22.99% 56.47% 1.90% 14.78% 25.96% 56.11% 2.09%
8 108,736 5.77% 32.21% 57.52% 2.52% 5.16% 34.29% 56.40% 2.75%
9 108,734 8.00% 26.17% 56.62% 7.35% 7.75% 31.13% 50.69% 8.69%
10 108,734 15.81% 23.62% 56.97% 2.07% 14.78% 28.56% 52.79% 2.50%

Source: UCCRO

2. Loss of Congressional Seat Presents a Challenge to the Ability of African Americans

from Chicago to Elect Candidates of Their Choice to the U.S. Congress

Because the State of Illinois’ population grew at a slower rate than most states in the
country, we will be losing a Congressional seat. Chicago’s three Congressional Districts
headed by African Americans have each lost population and must expand boundaries.
We were disappointed to read in Crain’s Chicago Business that the proposed map for
Illinois’ Congressional districts would create 3 majority African American districts with
51% African American population. Our conversations with UCCRO have indicated that
the potential exists to draw 3 majority African American Congressional districts with
over 55% African American population.

We respectfully request that the Legislature ensures that Congressional district

boundaries be drawn with an eye towards protecting the voting rights of African
Americans. This would include optimizing the opportunity for us to elect candidates of
our choice in each of the majority African American districts in the Illinois Delegation.
We also request that the lines be drawn to enhance the chances of African Americans on
the West Side to elect candidates of choice from the West Side of Chicago.

In closing, we thank you for your time and consideration, and hosting this public forum.
We have attached proposed maps for African American districts for Chicago’s West Side
and Western Suburbs. These maps have been drawn taking into account considerations
from neighboring Latino communities. If you have any questions, feel free to contact
Valerie F. Leonard at 773-521-3137 or valeriefleonard@msn.com.

3|Page Public Testimony to the Illinois House Redistricting Committee

Presented by Valerie F. Leonard, May 22, 2011
 Chicago-Westside Region Legislative Map
The overall situation is that although there was significant Black population loss, there is still
enough Black population to draw four majority-Black districts on the west side. These districts will
have lower percentages than past districts—all around 57 percent. In general, the areas included in
these four districts are needed to keep these percentages as high as possible—but the lines of the
individual districts within this area are more flexible. So, any feedback on these lines would be
great.

Source: United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations.

4|Page Public Testimony to the Illinois House Redistricting Committee

Presented by Valerie F. Leonard, May 22, 2011
 Potential Majority-Black House District: West Side
BN1 (This is currently Turner’s District)
BN1 and BN2 make up UCCRO’s proposed Senate District 5

LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN

DISTRICT POPULATION LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN 18+ 18+ 18+ 18+

BN1 108734 8.00% 26.17% 56.62% 7.35% 7.75% 31.13% 50.69% 8.69%

Source: United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations

5|Page Public Testimony to the Illinois House Redistricting Committee

Presented by Valerie F. Leonard, May 22, 2011
Potential Majority-Black House District: West Side
BN2 (This is currently Smith’s (formerly Collins’) District)
BN1 and BN2 make up UCCRO’s proposed Senate District 5

LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN

DISTRICT POPULATION LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN 18+ 18+ 18+ 18+

BN2 108734 15.81% 23.62% 56.97% 2.07% 14.78% 28.56% 52.79% 2.50%

Source: United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations

6|Page Public Testimony to the Illinois House Redistricting Committee

Presented by Valerie F. Leonard, May 22, 2011
Potential Majority-Black House District: West Side
BN3 (This is currently Ford’s District)
BN3 and BN4 make up UCCRO’s proposed Senate District 4

LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN

DISTRICT POPULATION LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN 18+ 18+ 18+ 18+

BN3 108736 5.77% 32.21% 57.52% 2.52% 5.16% 34.29% 56.40% 2.75%

Source: United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations

7|Page Public Testimony to the Illinois House Redistricting Committee

Presented by Valerie F. Leonard, May 22, 2011
Potential Majority-Black House District: West Side
BN4 (This is currently Yarbrough’s District)
BN3 and BN4 make up UCCRO’s proposed Senate District 4

LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN

DISTRICT POPULATION LATINO WHITE BLACK ASIAN 18+ 18+ 18+ 18+

BN4 108733 17.22% 22.99% 56.47% 1.90% 14.78% 25.96% 56.11% 2.09%

Source: United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations

8|Page Public Testimony to the Illinois House Redistricting Committee

Presented by Valerie F. Leonard, May 22, 2011