Black and Brown communities in Staten Island unite over redistricting

At the last public hearing for city council redistricting, held at Staten Island’s Borough Hall on Thursday, July 7, Black, Brown, and immigrant residents primarily in District 49 (North Shore) pleaded with the commission to keep the council districts whole. The first draft maps come out this Friday, July 15.

The city’s general population grew from 8.2 million in 2010 to 8.8 million in 2020, according to the Census. The process of redistricting was triggered by the decennial census count. The City Council Districting Commission is now redrawing the city’s 51 council districts based on the changing population sizes and demographics of the neighborhoods. The ideal size in each district is 172,882 people with “a 5% deviation,” or wiggle room, said the commission. Maps are then produced and voted on. The maps are meant to be drawn in the interest of protecting racial and political minorities’ voting rights with adequate representation, and not diluting any group’s political power.

About 40 people from, working, or living in North Shore showed up in-person to the borough hall hearing. In full force, they passionately made the case for their communities to be kept whole and entirely on the island, not bunched in with other boroughs like Brooklyn or Manhattan. Mainstays from the island’s nonprofits, such as Project Hospitality and La Colmena, as well as elected representatives were in attendance.

Many begrudgingly referred to Staten Island in the meeting as the “lost” or “forgotten borough” because of its unique geographic location being away from other boroughs and unto itself. District 49 is called North Shore, Mid Island is District 50, and South Shore is District 51.

Former Councilmember Debi Rose, the first person of color elected on Staten Island, kicked off proceedings by testifying as a civilian and community activist.

“The census tells a story that documents the history of redlining, which created barriers to housing in other parts of Staten Island that have resulted in the North Shore being the most densely populated with the highest concentration of Blacks and Hispanics,” said Rose. “The dissolution of the 49th District as it stands today would only serve to disenfranchise communities that have struggled to overcome the economic, health, educational, transportation, and political disparities that exist.”