City Government

U.S. District Judge Steve Jones Rules GOP’s Redistricting Maps Unfair to Georgia’s Black Voters

Judge Steve C. Jones of the Northern District of Georgia slapped down the redistricting maps drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature to accommodate the requirements of the 2020 census data and ruled that new maps must be redrawn to provide for equitable and fair representation for Black voters before the 2024 election.

Published

6 months ago

November 7, 2023

Oakland Post

The Honorable Steve C. Jones. Official portrait.

By Post Staff from News Sources

Jones’ ruling demands that the Georgia State Legislature create new maps on or before Dec. 8. In his timeline he wrote, “if an acceptable remedy is not produced, there will be time for the court warning to fashion one.”

The principle of requiring Republican mapmakers to move with dispatch and deliberate speed was cited to send a clear message to Georgia and its population that the state’s one-third Black population must not be excluded.

Jones’ 506-page decision states that the court “will not allow another election cycle on redistricting plans” that had been found to be unlawful.

According to the Associated Press, Jones “ordered the state to draw two new Black-majority districts in Georgia’s 56-member state Senate and five new Black-majority districts in its 180-member state House.”

Jones decision clearly showed that he understood the geopolitical significance of Atlanta’s place, struggles and voices that had helped persuade Congress and the President to sign the 1965 Voting Rights Bill.

In his decision, Jones wrote “Georgia has made great strides since 1965 towards equality in voting. However, the evidence before this court shows that Georgia has not reached the point where the political process has equal openness and equal opportunity for everyone.”

Jones’ Georgia Federal Court ruling will also impact voting discrimination charges that are being argued in other Southern states by Republicans who are now trying to justify congressional maps that appear to discriminate against Black voters.

In response to Jones ruling, Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, one of the plaintiffs in the case and a presiding prelate of the Sixth Episcopal District, said “While it has been a long march to justice, the decision reaffirms what so many of us already knew, that extremists in our own Legislature did indeed illegally map out the congressional and legislative districts to weaken the vote of Georgia’s Black voters.”

After citing Frederick Douglass, who once said that ‘Power concedes nothing without a demand,’ Jackson also said in a statement that “Together, the people of Georgia and our justice system have now demanded that those in power must right these wrongs and I sincerely hope that the process of now redrawing Georgia’s districts is done swiftly, thoroughly, and complies with the letter of the law.”

The Sixth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) comprises churches within the State of Georgia, totaling over 90,000 parishioners.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

17 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.