AVRP Cites Two Years of Successes (Alabama Briefs Newsletter)

    vol. 2, No. 4 September 1986 

| 
The Newsletter of The Alabama Voting Rights Project 

. AVRP CITES TWO YEARS OF SUCCESSES 
Since October 1, 1984, the Alabama Voting Rights Project has been 

working towards its guiding goal: " to make equal voting rights a 
reality for all citizens of Alabama." With a small staff , a tight 
budget and the dedicated involvement of voting rights attorneys and 
activists throughout this state, the Project has brought that promise 

closer to reality. On September 30, 1986 the AVRP will close its doors 

after two years of serving the voting rights community. These two 

short years have brought the voting rights community much to be proud 

of. This last issue of the Alabama Briefs is being devoted to naming, 

detailing and describing the form of government changes that have 

ws consituted the fruit of the community's labor for the last two years. 

  

3 
i> 

  

             

  

At the inception of the Alabama Voting Rights Project, a "hit 

list" was drawn up containing those jurisdictions with at-large 

election schemes and sizeable black populations who could most benefit 

and were in the most need of single-member district elections. Of the 
14 counties that were targetted in October of 1984, 13 have adopted 

single-member district election systems and one (Madison) is currently 
being challenged under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Success in 

reapportioning those cities and boards of education that were 

targetted has also been substantial. 

The Alabama Voting Rights Project has been directly involved in 

the challenges and proposals that brought about redistricting changes 
in nine of the 14 counties that were targetted (Coosa, Talladega, 

Crenshaw, Escambia, Etowah, Henry, Lawrence, Pickens and Russell), as 

well as other challenges of municipalities and boards of education. 

In addition to those challenges that the Project has been 

involved with, there are a number of other sucess stories. The last 
two years have been fruitful for voting rights activists. Diligence, : | 

"commitment and growing expertise have spelled a new political a LLB RR 

beginning for blacks in areas throughout the state. The AVRP's "il we : 

efforts of the last two years have increased and secured the voting 

rights of 1.5 million Alabamians of every race and from every walk of The 15th Amendment: 

life. The efforts of others in this struggle have richly added to the 

effort. 

  

The right to vote... 
The following is a synopsis of those changes in methods of regardless of race 

election that have occurred over the last 'two @ years. AVRP's 

participation is noted where applicable. 

KEY 
$ = percentage of blacks in total population 
Adopted = system adopted as a result of the redistricting 

challenge 
SMD = single-member districts 

Increase in BEO = Increase in black elected officials 
on the county/city commission after the 
redistricting challenge. 

Effective = when. those elected from SMDs take office 

 



County: CALHOUN     n.d 
Black Pop.: 20,412 %: 17.5 ka’ 3 ll 
Adopted: 5 SMD, chair selected from among the comm. { dn 2 | 

i TP Increase in BEO: pending election “ CALM 

J ~ Effective: pending ci) . | 
J 

~~ 3 - Re County: LEE mmm | 

Black Pop.: 18,652 %: 24.5 
Adopted: 5 SMD, chair selected from among comm. 

Increase in BEO: 0 to 1 
Effective: 1/87 

ff County: LAWRENCE 
4 LAWRENCE Black Pop.: 5,074 $:416.8 

i Adopted: pending 

Increase in BEO: pending 

| | Effective: pending   

  

+ ¢ — ci + ot i 

County: ETOWAH 

Black ‘Pop.: 13,029 "%: 13.4 
Adopted: pending 

Increase in BEO: pending 

County: PICKENS 

Black Pop.: 8,978 $: 41.8 
Adopred: pending 

Increase in BEO: pending 

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Effective: pending yy \ Effective: pending 

ounty: ESCAMBIA rt >! A 
SY oe 11,376 %: 29.6 ln 
Adopted: 5 SMD, chair selected from among . | verre 

Increase in BEO: from 0 to 1 | : 

Effective: 1/87 I] County: COFFEE i Pony 

L—, Black Pop.: 6,532 %: 17.0 SEER be 
ll i: I j Adopted: 6 SMD, chair selected from among the comm. ny Wu 

) Increase in BEO: from 0 to 1 J 8 
Als casnsnavw) Effective: 1/87 § TALLADEGA A 

: EE 2 i, ai J rd 3 — 

I 4 i’ 
rl County: CRENSHAW — iP County: TALLADEGA > | " Black Pop.: 3,693 %: 26.2 1] Black Pop, 22,745 2:30.80 | Sree — Ci 

Adopted: 5 SMD, chair selected from among the comm. Adopted: 5 SMD, chair selected from among comm. Bl 

Increase in BEO: None (pending election challenge) Increase in BEO: pending Ad 
Effective: 1/87 Effective: 1/87 In 

No 

Notes: All nine of the counties listed immediately county's order stipulated that the at-large $2 
above were named as defendants in Dillard v. election systems for the county commission 19 
Crenshaw, an ambitious Section 2 challenge filed resulted in black vote dilution and , thus, were 
by attorneys Jim Blacksher, Larry Menefee, and in violation of Section®2 of the Voting Rights Act Sa 
Wanda Cochran of Mobile; Terry Davis of of 1965. While each county agreed to adopt single- 

Montgomery; and Julius Chambers and Deborah Fins member-district = systems, each reserved the right Ot 
of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. In to fashion a redistricting plan acceptable to B. 
March 1986, the plaintiffs requested a preliminary them. Ac 

injunction from Federal District Judge Myron Ly 
Thompson that would bar any of the defendant In August, Talladega and Etowah counties settled Ef 
counties from holding any further at-large their challenges out of court. A remedy hearing 

elections for their respective county commissions. for the remaining three counties took place in 
Dr. Peyton McCrary, presented historical evidence September. Pickens, Lawrence and Etowah all 
supporting the plaintiffs's claim that in the argued for the retention of an at-large county 
1950's and 60's the Alabama Legislature adopted a commission chairperson. Plaintiffs presented 
number of measures to dilute and negate the eveidence gathered by the AVRP indicating that the 
potential vote of the growing black electorate. combination of a single-member-district election 
One of those measures was to install at-large system and an at-large elected chairperson was no 
voting in the place of existing single-member- longer common and had been all but phased.out in 
district systems. ~All nine of the defendant most counties that had once utilized it. All three f 
counties had, at one time, elected their county of the counties have submitted redistricting plans Rs 
commissioners from single-member-districts. (each including the retention of an at-large 

elected chairperson) to the Justice Department for 
Escambia, Crenshaw, and Lee Counties settled their preclearance. Thompson is not expected to rule on C 
challenges out of court prior to the preliminary the evidence and testimony presented at the ; 
injunction hearing. In May, Thompson granted the remedy hearing until after the Justice Department A 
plaintiffs's preliminary injunction request decides whether to preclear any of the proposed : 
against five of the six remaining counties plans. . 
(excluding Pickens). Thompson's order did not 
enjoin the scheduled June 3 primary elections in In September a contempt motion was filed by —- 
each county but it did require that each county plaintiffs against Crenshaw County. Plaintiffs are 
develop and submit a timetable for developing, complaining that the county failed to properly of 
drawing and implementing single-member-districts identify voters and assign them to commission Th 
by January 1, 1987. Thompson did not issue a districts prior to a special election held for the Li 
preliminary injunction against Pickens County newly districted county commission. The black or 
because the issue of discriminatory intent had candidate running in the majority black district 
previously been litigated in Corder v. Kirksey, an lost by only 17 votes. pr 
unsuccessful 1973 voting rights challenge. : Ed 
Plaintiffs planned to continue their challenge of The AVRP provided all of the paralegal support 
Pickens County on the results standard. necessary to litigate this complex case. This 

included gathering election returns, conducting Pr 
In July, Coffee County settled its challenge out interviews of community members as well as past th 
of court. Later that month, all five .of the black candidates, performing archival research, Vo 
remaining counties (Pickens, Lawrence, Calhoun, and trial preparation. The Project Coordinator was Un Talladega and Etowah) entered into stipulation ably assisted by NLG intern Melinda Guzman-Moore me orders with their respective plaintiffs. Each and volunteer Noah Arceneaux. qe 

 



  

R County: WASHINGTON 

| io 1 Black Pop.: 4,726 
: a Adopted: 4 SMD, 

WASHINGTON % Increase in BEO: 
* Effective: 1/85 

| or Notes: 

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City/Town: JACKSON 

did welcome its first minority member. 

to the commission for the first time ever. 

2:28.71 
PJ as chair 
from @ to O 

Although no blacks were elected in 1984, the county commission 
A Native American was elected 

City/Town: MOBILE City/Town: PRICHARD 
Black Pop.: 72,568 %: 36.2 Black Pop.: 29,129 %: 73.7 
Adopted: 7 SMD Adopted: 5 SMD 

Increase in BEO: 0 to 3 Increase in BEO: no change 
Effective: October 1985 
Notes: Ten years after the historic Mobile v. Bolden complaint was 
filed, Mobile voters overwhlmingly approved a referendum authorizing 
single-member districts. 72% of those voting chose a mayor-council 
form of government with councilpersons being elected from single- 

member districts. Three of the seven districts are predominantly 
black. Irmatean Watson, Rev. Clinton Johnson and Rev. Charles 
Tunstall were elected to serve as the first blacks on the council. 

  

  

Black Pop.: 2,079 $: 34.2 granee | 
Adopted: 6 SMD 
Increase in BEO: from 0 to 2 i JAcksoN * 
Effective: 1986 J 5 
Notes: Attorneys Jim Blacksher and Larry Menefee of Mobile filed this CRE SN 
Section 2 litigation challenging Jackson's at-large election systems. ) NM 

Steven Livingstone, a legal intern with the CLUA for the summer of id Rx 
1984 conducted all of the paralegal research for the AVRP. 3 4 

County: MACON 

Black Pop.: 22,579 %: 84.2 County: RUSSELL 
Adopted: 4 SMD, chair elected at-large Black Pop.: 18,656 3%: 39.4 
Increase in BEO: pending Adopted: 7 SMD, chair selected from among comm. 

Effective: pending Increase in BEO: from 0 to 2 

Effective: 1/86 

Notes: This AVRP case was handled by attorneys Larry Menefee, Jim 
Blacksher and Wanda Cochran and was settled out of court in early 
1985. Under the terms of the settlement, the county commission was 

  

City/Town: EUFAULA 
Black Pop.: 4,159 &: 
Adopted: pending 
Increase in BEO: pending election 
Effective: pending 

34.6 

The five sitting commissioners 

(until 1988), two additional 

increased from five to seven members. 

are being allowed to sit out their terms 
commissioners were elected in 1985. 

    

  

The Alabama Briefs is a publication 
of the Alabama Voting Rights Project. 
The project is sponsored by the Civil 
Liberties Union of Alabama, a non-profit 
organization. 

Project Director... .. cease Mary Weidler 
Project Coordinator....... Paola Maranan 
Editor. .....-....0 «eese.s..Paola Maranan 

To contact the Alabama Voting Rights 
Project about its work or the contents of 
this newsletter, write to: The Alabama 
Voting Rights Project, Civil Liberties 
Union of Alabama, P. 0. Box 447, Montgo-   mery, AL 36101 

es ts mii 

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| ELBA 

COFFEE 

: | ® City/Town: ELBA 
City/Town: ENTERPRISE | EnTBRPRISE| Black pop.: 961 3: 22.0 
Black Pop.: 3,624 2: 20.0 i Adopted: pending 

Bdopieds yD pdndin : ots Increase in BEO: pending 
: ending eiection Effecti . di 

Effective: 1/87 grive: pending ° 
Notes: Attorney Steve Caley and other staff members of. the Legal 
Services Corporation of Alabama handled this complex piece of 
litigation for the black plaintiffs. City officials resisted 
settlement but finally settled the case out’ of court. Primary 
elections are scheduled for November 4, 1986. 

One aspect of the litigation that made the case difficult was that the 
city's voters were not assigned to precincts or boxes according to 
their residences, but rather by the first letter of their last names. 
Polling places are usually determined to be predominantly white or 
black by virtue of the area where they are located. All Enterprise 
voters voted 1in the same location and were assigned to their boxes 
alphabetically rather than by residence. Determining the number of 
black voters became a complicated process involving poring over the 
registration rolls and the polling lists. Thus, obtaining proof of the 
widespread racially polarized voting was made extremely dificult.    



   
County: DALLAS 

Black Pop.: 29,488 2: 54.6 
Adopted: pending 

Increase in BEO: pending 

    

  

Effective: pending 1 
Notes: The eight-year-old redistricting effort in Dallas County 3 \ 
remains in limbo as county officials scramble to develop a new ( 

districting plan. ‘U.S. v. Dallas County, a voting rights challenge of / ( 

the at-large election system for the Dallas County Commission, was ge \ 

filed by Justice Department attorneys in 1978. In 1980 Federal S 

District Judge Brevard Hand denied the plaintiffs's claim and then was \ 

forced in 1984 to reconsider those claims after the 11th Circuit Court + Dalias d 

of Appeals reversed his original decision and remanded the case. The i ¢ 
11th Circuit ordered Hand to reexamine the plaintiffs's claim that Dds Ng 
racial polarization and at-large voting caused black vote dilution. ht ; E 

: . i 

Hand reluctantly decided for the plaintiffs in 1986 and ordered the | 

county to develop a single-member district election plan. The Nh j 
county's proposed plan brought charges of ‘vote dllution and 
discrimination from black Dallas County residents. Dallas County was 
ordered to develop a new and fair redistricting plan after the Justice 

Department twice rejected the original. No plan has yet ‘been 
developed and no elections have been scheduled. The AVRP assisted 
Dallas County residents with letter campaigns to the Justice 
Department urging the department to reject both submissions of the 
county's proposed redistricting plan. #3 

3 

| 

City/Town: ALABASTER | FALLAPOOSA 

Black Pop.: 1,685 2: 23.8 
Adopted: 5 SMD : 

Increase in BEQ: from 1 to 1 : "es ph 
Effective: 1984 County: TALLAPOOSA . 

— Black Pop.: 10,451 %: 27.0 ) J 
City/Town: MONTEVALLO Adopted: 5 SMD, PJ serves as chair 
Black Pop.: 773 $: 19.4 Increase in BEO: from 0 to 0 IF 
Adopted: 5 SMD 
Increase in BEQO: from 0 to 1 

Effective: 1984 

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City/Town: MONROEVILLE 
Bla¢k Pop.: 1,666 $: 29.2 

Adopted: 5 SMD 
Increase in BEO: pending 

Effective: pending 

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City/Town: ANNISTON “—— BY Al 
Black Pop.:"11,937 %:1:40.4 
Adopted: 4 SMD 

Increase in BEO: from 0 to 2   

  

Effective: 1986 
Notes: Holley v. Sharpe, the Section 5 challenge of the at-large 
election system for the Tallapoosa County Commission, was settled out 
of court in January of 1985. Under the redistricting plan, two 
districts contain a significant black population. 

The complex circumstances surrounding this case date back to at least 
1968. At one time, the county elected its commissioners from single 
member districts. However a federal district judge found those 
districts to be grossly malapportioned and approved the use of an 
interim at-large election system until the ‘districts could ‘be 
properly apportioned. The districts were never reapportioned. 
Attorneys Ed Still and Ira Burnim challenged that the at-large plan 
was never precleared by the Justice Department as a permanent election 
system. 

County: HENRY MENRY 
Black Pop.: 5,799 £: 37.9 
Adopted: 5 SMD, chair selected from among comm. 
Increase in BEO: from 0 to 1 bee. 
Effective: 1/87 ; 
Notes: Henry County adopted a single-member district election system 
for its county commission as a result of an out of court settlement in 

  
Diggs v. Henry County, a Section 2 challenge filed by attorneys Jim   

Blacksher, Larry Menefee and Wanda Cochran of Mobile. At a special 
election held in September, Henry County voters elected their first 
black to the county commission. In addition, a black was elected to 
the county board of education. 

    

  

~~ Effective: 1984 3 to 

/ \ 
County: CONECUH \ 
Black Pop.: 6,534 $: 41:1 es EV ROREESN] 
Adopted: 4 SMD, PJ as chair Lf VE ] 

In 1988: 5 SMD, chair selected from among comm. ~ ) 
Increase in BEO: from 0 to 1 / 7 Effective: 1984 7 
Notes: While single-member districts were first adopted in 1982, L : 
complications with that election and the districts required another : K | 
election to be held in 1984. One black was elected. The county has City/Town: EVERGREEN |. 
made a commitment to add an additional district to the commission by 
1988. At that time, the Probate Judge will cease to serve as chair of 
the commission and, instead, the commissioners will select their 
chair from among their own ranks. The county will be reapportioned 

Black Pop.: 1,631 % 
Adopted: 5 SMD 

Increase in BEO: from 0 to 2 

Effective: 1984 

$40.3 

into five districts, two of which will majority black. 

  

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HOUSTON 

Black Pop.: 16,610 ‘"%: 22.3 

Adopted: 4 SMD, chair selected from among comm. ! : \ 
Increase in BEO: from 0 to 1 ——d 
Effective: 1986 

Notes: The redistricting process did not go smoothly in Houston 
County. The county originally proposed a plan that would retain at- 

large voting but create four residency districts. In October 1985, the 

Justice Department refused to preclear the plan. Later in that month, 
the commissioners proposed a four single-member district plan that 
would contain the same district lines as the plan that had been 
rejected by the Justice Department. Black Houston County residents 

petitioned the commissioners to develop a plan containing between 5 
and 7 districts, . with at least one district containing 65% or . more 
black residents. The strongest black district under the county's plan 

contained just 54% black population, much less than the 65% minimum 

that is widely recognized as the minimum threshold for a viable black 
district. 

| 
County: HOUSTON 

The commissioners redrew their four-district plan to include a 
majority black district with a 69% black population. Black residents 
and their attorney, Steve Caley of the Legal Services Corporation of 

Alabama, rejected the county's suggestion and offered their own five- 
district plan which included a 79% black district. Unable to solve the 
controversy, the commissioners voted to send their plan to the Justice 
Department for preclearance and offered to include the alternate plan 
848 a sign of "good faith". Three days later the offer was rescinded. 
Black residents wrote to the Justice Department urging them to reject 
the county's proposal. 

In the meantime, both the Justice Department and Houston County blacks 
filed separate litigation challenging the county's-at-large election 
system. In December, the Justice Department and the county reached a 
tentative agreement. Justice agreed to drop its lawsuit if by February 
14, 1986 the county presented the department with a redistricting plan 
that met with the approval of the Alabama State Legislature. The 
agreement also had to earn the approval of a panel of federal judges. 
The county's four-district plan was approved by the legislature and 
later precleared by the Justice Department. Black county residents did 
not pursue their separate litigation. 

  

  

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PUSCALOOSA 

City/Town: NORTHPORT * NORTHPORT > 

Black Pop.: 3,175 2: 22.2 . ; Ve 
Adopted: 5 SMD TUSCALOOSA IT 
Increase in BEO: pending election | 
Effective: elections scheduled for 1988 bem a   

Notes: The Northport plan was drawn by a committee representing 

blacks and the city's officials. The committee was formed after the 

1984 summer elections in an effort to avoid litigation by voluntarily 

adopting and developing a single-member-district plan. One of the five 
districts adopted is predominantly black. 

City/Town: TUSCALOOSA 

Black Pop.: 26,354 3%: 35.0 
Adopted: 7 SMD 

Increase in BEO: from 0 to 2 

Effective: Special election held in July 1985. 
Notes: The City of Tuscaloosa adopted a single-member district plan 
as a result of an out-of-court settlement reached in a Section 2 case 
challenging at-large elections for the governing boards of both the 
city and Tuscaloosa County. Two of the city's districts are 
predominantly black. John England and Charles Steele were elected in 
July 1985. Attorneys for the case included England, Jack Drake, Larry 
Menefee and Jim Blacksher. 

County: TUSCALOOSA 

Black Pop.: 37,405  %:-27.2 
Adopted: 4 SMD, PJ serves as chair 

Increase in BEO: from 0 to 1 
Effective: 1985 2 

Notes: Tuscaloosa County settled their redistricting challenge out of 

court in January 1985. As a result of the settlement negotiated by 

plaintiffs's attorneys Jack Drake, John England, Jim Blacksher and 
Larry Menefee, the county commission is now comprised of members 

elected from single-member districts. One of the districts is 

predominantly black. 

  

This project funded 
through generous 

grants from the 

J. Roderick Mac Arthur 
Foundation, the Deer 

Creek Foundation, the 
Southern Poverty Law 
Center and the Stanford 

Public Interest Law 

Foundation 

  

  

City/Town: GREENEVILLE 

Black Pop.: 3,056 2:39.13 

Adopted: 5 SMD 
Increase in BEO: from 0 to 2 

Effective: 1984 

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City/Town: EUTAW ee 

Black Pop.: 1,300 2: 53.1 

Adopted: 5 SMD 3 
Increase in BEO: from 0 to 2 

Effective: 1984 

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City/Town: FLORENCE 
Black Pop.:. 5,861 $2: 15.8 

Adopted: pending 
Increase in BEO: pending 

Effective: pending 

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ESCAMBIA 

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City/Town: ATMORE 
Black Pop.: 3,824 %: 43.5 
Adopted: 5 SMD : 

Increase in BEO: pending electic 

Effective: pending 

City/Town: ANDALUSIA 

Black Pop.: 2,177 2: 20.9 

Adopted: pending 
Increase in BEO: pending 

Effective: pending 

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o AN DALUSIA 

COVINGTON 

City/Town: JASPER 

Black Pop.:-:1,971 $2::16.5 

Adoptéd: 5 SMD 
Increase in BEO: pending electio 

Effective: pending



Frm 2 

LAFAYETTE \ 
. 

9 

  

CHANMAMERS 

® 

County: CHAMBERS LANETT 
Black Pop.: 13,894 $: 35.4 ! 

Adopted: 6 SMD, chair selected from among comm. 

Increase in BEO: pending 

Effective: pending (1988) 
Notes: Reese v. Yeargan, a AVRP suit filed by advisory board members 
Fd S5till and Ira Burhim, Laughlin MacDenald of i the ACLU Southern 
Regional Office and Calvin Biggers of Tuskegee, challenged the at- 

large method of election for the Chambers County Commission as well as 

similar systems for the county school board and the Lanett and 
Lafayette City Councils. The case was settled out of court and 

resulted in two majority black districts out of a total of six. 

  
SCART NL 

City/Town: LAFAYETTE City/Town: LANETT 

Black Pop.:2,078 %: 56.9 Black Pop.: 2,153 $::31.2 
Adopted: 5 SMD Adopted: 5 SMD 

Increase in BEO: pending election Increase in BEO: pending election 

Effective: pending Effective: pending 

Both Lanett and Lafayette were included in Reese V. Yeargan, a Section 

2 challenge of the at-large election systems for the Chambers County 
Commission, the county Board of Education as well as the two city 

councils. Two districts in each city are over 65% black (one of the 

Lafayette disricts is 100% black). 

  

The suit was filed by attorneys with the Southern Poverty Law Center, 
Biggers and Biggers of Tuskegee and Reeves and Still of Birmingham. 
The redistricting plans were developed and drawn by Deborah Lewis,   

City/Town: 
Black Pop.: 

BAY MINETTE 

Adopted: pending 

Increase in BEO: pending 

pending Effective: 

or 
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2 
IC. 
7 
\ BAY 

County: MONROE 
9,742 $: 43.0 

Adopted: 4 SMD, PJ as chair 

Increase in BEO: 

Black Pop.: 

1,335 224.6 

  

from Oto '1 

  

formerly a research associate with the Southern Poverty Law Center. Effective: 1984 

City/Town: ADAMSVILLE City/Town: BESSEMER 

Black Pop.: 696 $3. 27.8 Black Pop. 16,272 8%: 51.2 
i Adopted: 5 SMD Adopted: 6 SMD and 1 A-L seat 
i) Increase in BEO: from 0 to 1 Increase in BEO: from 0 to 4 

ad Ns Effective: 1984 Effective: 1/87 
S 

/ | County: JEFFERSON 

r Black Pop.: 223,759  %: 33.3 
 SAbAMSYiLLE 

% JEFPERSON L Increase in BEO: from 0 to 2 
rc 7 

  

Adopted: 5 SMD, chair selected from among comm. 

  

  

  

2 Effective: 1/87 
ad » gesSEMBR al Notes: A Section 2 challenge filed by Birmingham attorneys, Ed Still 

Tn vf and Ronald Spratt, Taylor v. Jefferson resulted in single-member 
4 ~ district elections for the state's most populous county. Previously, 

M4, C Jefferson County's 671,197 residents (33.3% of them black) had been 
"yy ii served by a three-member commission, one of the smallest in the 

Eo state--among other things, the settlement in Taylor increases the size 
of the commission to 5 members. Taylor was an AVRP case and Project 
staff provided assistance with historical research. 1985 NLG intern 

Sam McKissick assisted with archival research. 

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| / oe ATT ALLA pd | 
! i ETOWAH ; 

| No GADSDEN 
County: COOSA \ coosa LN iy reid 
Black Pop.: 3,950  %: 34.7 S bY ~ 
Adopted: 5 SMD, PJ serves as chair i, rg 

Increase in BEO: from 0 to 1 Non * 
Effective: 1986 Sinz intaytl sdorit oa - 

Notes: The Coosa County Commission vote o voluntarily City/Town: 

single-member district election system that would make the first-ever Eis) agian $: 24.9 

election of blacks to that governing body possible. The AVRP assisted 

ADC Field Director Jerome Gray and local ADC activists with their 

presentations to the Coosa County Commission. 

The Project helped to discover a 1954 Local Act of: the Alabama 

Legislature that called for a referendum to be held regarding 

redistricting. However, the 1954 county powers-that-were did not want 

districts and the referendum election was never held. The level and 

guality of cooperation offered from the current Coosa County governing 

body was much higher. 

In addition to electing the first black person ever to the county 

commission, Coosa County voters also elected a black person to the 

county board of education.   
Adopted: 7 SMD 

Increase in 
Effective: 

BEO: 
1986 

from 0 to 2 

City/Town: ATTALLA 
Black Pop.: 
Adopted: 3 

1,381 

SMD 
Increase in BEO: 
Effective: 1984 

52 07.8 

from 1 tol 

  

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County: MARENGO 
Black Pop.: 13,346 3: 53.3 

Adopted: 5 smd, chair selected from among comm. 

  

        

    
  

Sn Increase in BEO: from 0 to 1 (others pending runoff) 
J en \ Effective: 1/87 

ll Notes: US v. Marengo County and Clark v. Marengo County, two 

( : challenges of the at-large system for the Marengo County Commission 
ey i and Board of Ecucation remained in the federal courts since 1977. In 

¢ U 1979, Federal District Judge Brevard Hand ruled that the at-large 
{ MARENGO r systems did not compromise black voting rights. The case was appealed 

| to the 11th Circuit twice and was twice remanded to the District Court 

J ty for consideration of new voting rights standards (specifically, the 

/ Supreme Court's decision in Mobile v. Bolden and the 1982 amendments 

hd to the Voting Rights Act). 

Wer wif In 1986, Hand reluctantly ruled for the plaintiffs and ordered Marengo 
County to develop a single-member district election plan. Later, 
after much legal argument, the Court also ordered that the county 
abandon its method of electing the commission chairperson at-large 

and, instead, have the chair selected by the commissioners from among 

their own ranks. In 1986, for the first time ever, blacks were elected 

to the county commission and the county board of education. 

County: SUMTER : gar 
Black Pop.: 11,711 %: 69.3 juss TR Re 
Adopted: 5 SMD, chair selected from among comm. ! 

Increase in BEO: no increase | 

Effective: 1/87 
{ an re, 

J PERRY !) Nr : +d 

County: PERRY [ Ed / \ 
Black Pop.: 9,020 $2: 60.1 ( Ci See Zn 

Adopted: pending / — : \) 

Increase in BEO: pending [em . A 

Effective: pending LOWNDES I Zr 

Ne 

County: GREENE ~~] iy sonvas $7 > 

Black Pop.: 8,596 $: 80.0 mre oe | l ! Ye 
Adopted: 5 SMD, chair selected from among comm. ~~ Eo H 8 

Increase in BEO: no increase : { ¥ w 

Effective: 1/87 ~ g i 
& S : ( 
X Ia i 

County: LOWNDES 2. GREENE a fs Soa, 
Black Pop.: 9,937 %: 75.0 vy ) | v— 

Adopted: 5 SMD, chair selected from among comm. C FS | > 

Increase in BEO: no increase A A a] 

Effective: 1/87 3 L Na 2 

County: WILCOX — 5 5 | 
Block Pop y 14,755 17 00.8 1. [ wiLcox r 
Adopted: 5 SMD, chair selected from among the comm. I | 

Increase in BEO: no increase 5 ent nih ead 

Effective: 1/87 

These five counties adopted single-member districts as a result of a 

of bills introduced by Senator Hank Sanders (D-Selma) . The 

bills were welcomed with relatively little opposition in every county 

Perry, where bitter political feuding fueled the filing of a 

lawsuit challenging the law and the resulting redistricting plan. In 

five counties that are all predominantly black, the adoption of 

package 

except 

single-member district 

better 

elections will afford the white minority a 

chance of electing candidates of their choice (all of the 

redistricting plans contain at least one predominantly white district) 

and afford better representation for all. 

rT 

\ 
1 5 o——r itr 

| 
i. [ 

PIKE 

0 I 
BRUNoIDGES 

City/Town: TROY 
Black Pop.: 4,294 $:034.1 
Adopted: 5 SMD 
Increase in BEO: 0 to 2 
Effective: 1985 

City/Town: BRUNDIDGE 

Black Pop.: 1,755 2: 54,6 
Adopted: 5 SMD 

Increase in BEO: from 0 to 2 
Effective: 1/87 
Notes: At the request of the black plaintiff group, the AVRP served as 
a liasion between the community and the attorneys associated with 
Harris v. Brundidge. 

County: PIKE 

Black Pop.t 9,825 %:.35.0 
Adopted: 6 SMD 
Increase in BEO: from 0 to 2 

Effective: 1/85 

Notes: Litigation filed by black Pike County residents led to the 

adoption. of single-member district elections for both the Pike County 
Commission and the Troy City Commission. AVRP Advisory Board Members 
Ed 8till and Ira Burnim as well as Calvin Biggers of Tuskegee 
represented the plaintiffs in this Section 2 challenge. 

Moses Batie and AVRP Advisory Board Member Jerry Henderson became the 
first blacks to ever be elected to the county governing board.



  

    red 

  

City/Town: OPELIKA 

Black Pop.: 7,314 %: 33.4 Gh ahi C 
Adopted: 5 districts hy 
Increase in BEO: 0 to 2 Te UR a 
Effective: 1/87 | | 
Notes: Lee. County v. City of Opelika was filed in January 1978 to a 
protest the at-large method of elections for the Opelika City 
Commission. Federal District Judge Robert Varner ruled for the 
defendants in 1982, but the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overruled | 

his decision 1984 and sent the case back for retrial. On August 20, | 

| 

  

BUTLER 

1985, Varner approved a settlement between the city and the black 
plaintiffs. The city commission sought approval from the Alabama = 
Legislature for a change of government and submitted a plan to the \ | 

Justice Department for preclearance. \ 

a ' 3 n 3 ind 2 o C t : -— Opelika's mayor said that "Opelika got off easy" with their proposed oMneyYs ByTLen ° p 3 : ; Black Pop.: 8,397 5::38.7 
settlement and their $115,000 for legal fees. The mayor conducted his - hai ; ! ; : Adopted: 4 SMD, PJ serves as chair 
own informal survey and the results indicated that the average cost of Increase in BEO: from 0 to 1 
defending a voting rights lawsuit was around $300,000. The mayor Effective: 1/85 2 
pointed out that the City of Mobile spent over $1 million dollars in : Ee ~~) 
legal fees only to lose their case. } 

a ke —E— — | 

| { \ 
| by 

pr = Bis2 fi 

/ County: BIBB I. I 
f BARBOUR Black Pop.: 3,675 g: 23.4 WSL A. 

Adopted: 5 SMD, PJ serves as chair 

4 tine Increase in BEO: no majority black district 
County: BARBOUR f [ § a pia 
Black Pop.: 11,003 %: 44.5 £m \| - 1 
Adopted: / SMD, chair selected from among comm. pats 
Increase in BEO: | 4 | i Effective: 1986 | : | » i ne 

County: RANDOLPH ire} County: DALE fo fd 

Black Pop.: 4,869  %:: 24.2 | i Black fop.: 7,928 >: Si among COMM . 4 BR ry : . q selected from Soe Adopted: 4 SMD, chair selected from among comm. | \ Adopped: 4 SMD, no majority black district 
Increase in BEO: no majority black dist. iin od Increase in BEO: 

  

VOTING RIGHTS QUERIES = NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS HANDL 

During the last two years, the AVRP has been pleased to Voting Rights Project especially 

respond to requests for assistance from attorneys, Southern Regional Council Gal preclearance 
individuals and communities from throughout Alabama. Suite 820, Peachtree West Building matters 
By the time that this newsletter is published ang 161 Spring St. NW 
distributed, the Project will have discontinued Atlanta, GA 30303 
operations. The following is a list of organizations (404) 522-8764 

that can be of help if you or your community need 
assistance with a voting rights matter. Alabama Democratic Conference 

P.O. Box 6233 

Montgomery, AL 36106 

Civil Liberties Union of Alabama (205) 263-4040 

P.O. Box 447 

Montgomery, AL 36101 

(205) 262-0304 Alabama New South Coalition 

P.O. Box 1228 

Montgomery, AL 

Legal Services Corporation of Alabama 

(Check your phone book for the closest office) t= 

  

  

  

THE ALABAMA VOTING RIGHTS PROJECT \ 

CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF ALABAMA \ Non Profit Organization 

P.O. BOX 447 \ ye Eodiage 

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36101 \ Ne. Ml 

* Permit No. 99     
  

  

Vol. 2, No. 4