Letters to Department of Justice from Thompson et. al, RE: N.C. Redistricting

    ?

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August 5, l9B1

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scr{ATOR CARY O. ALLREO
t BTH OISTIIICT

RT. 2, Box 32O
BURLTNGToN. N. C. 27213

COMMITTEEET

EcoNOMY
FINANcE
HIGHER EDUGATION
Hur.AN REeouRGEB
JtI)lctAtaY I
REDIaTnICTING. SEI{ATE
SENIOR CITIZENS AFFAIRS
SMALL BUSINESS

Ms. Theresa Lynn
Depantment of Justice
Civil Rights Division
Tenth €r Pennsylvania Ave., ii.'v't.
Washington, D. C. 20530

Dean Ms. Lynn:

It is my opinion that the Congnessional Redistnicting
Carolina natified bv the lrlR'! session of the Genenal
Cirrolirr.r [.rilr' to corrrl>ly witl.r s('vcri-rl rulings oI tl'ro
the United States and is thenefore unconstitutional.

Plan for North
Assembly of Nonth
Suprcrrrc Court of

ln thc Supnenre Court case of \^/esberry vs. SanrJens, the court held tha t
tlre popul.ltion of conqnc.sssional distnicts in the sanre state must be
as neanly egual in population as pnacticable. And, in the case
pltrick vs. Preisler, the court nejected the suggestion that there is
a point.:tt wlrich l)opulertion diffcrcnces anrong districts beconresrrdc
rninirnis.'r The count held that a state must either show that mathematical
equality variances are unavoidable on specif ically justif y the vaniances.

The natif ied Congnessional nedistricting plan of 198t for Nonth Carolina
does not meet the rulings above. The ratified plan splits one county
(lvloone) among two districts. lf counties had been split in each of
the Congnessional districts, the districts could have been dnawn mone
nearly equal in population and mone geographically compact. The
variances in equality of population of the natified plan are thenefone

, ,njustifiable and could be avoided.

ln City of A4obile vs. Bolden, Justice Stevens stated that the constitution-
.' al test of a redistricting plan is whethen it is: (1) rtuncouthril i.e,,

unusual and trmanifestly not the product of a noutine on tnaditional poli-
tical tl<:cis;ion 1" {2) l-rils "u sig.1nif icarnt arcJverse irrrpact on a nrinority

I gnoup;'r and (3) is rrunsuppontecj by dr'r neutral just.if icationrt ancj there-r fc;re is eithen inr^ational or the product of a discnimirlalory motive. .a
I
I rhe ratiried N. c. pr.rn ur ie6r is irnari.nar in ,il??;;;A*!-
F "ounty and the Second distnict is a gnoup of countiies strunq out in
F a fishook-like shape to avoid including Durham Cognty, which has a

I 
heavy concentnation of htack votens. 

C) , .. 
..1.

?zl t.'i 125 zx Y I " i';i

La-.r\-iri-- t fr-'-('/ { n rrr^ L

fRi\f \ED le Au6 re8r r-,ul;sn:,_,,*r- .-- Lr _ -. ,, _i

Kirk-



l-l're districts of the ratified plan are certainly runcouthu because theyane not as geognaphically compact as possible. Alamance county deci-sions would not be routinely linked with those of Edgecombe County.The 51r:ographic configunation of the Second Distnict oi the ratified planis such that a congnessman cannot adequately nepnesent it. DunhamCounty is dominated by tobacco interests as are most of the othen coun-ties in the second district except Alamance.
'[tre ralifir:d plcrrr crf 196 I itos d significant acjverse irrrpact on blackvotens by diluting thein political strength between the Second and FounthDistnicts. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits discnimination eitherhy Pt.lri)()s(-' or by of fuct urru l,lrc Act w.rs ulrlrelcl in tlrc. ccrse g[ City

By placino Alamance anrr Chetham counties in the Second District andbypassing Durham county, the blacl< voters of Durham county cannotcombine their voting strength with othen Second District counties havingheavy black voter registration to have a gneater influence on electionsfor Congress- ln the case of V/hite vs. Regester, a legislative distnict-ingplirnWi15heldinv;rli<-lueciuffievotingStnengthof
a discrete gnoup.rt

ln his conct.rrnin5; opinion in Q_!fqf Mol>ile vs. Rolclcn, Justicc Stcvens..rrguedtlrirl'tlreconstitutic.lnalioio,'discrimina-
tion are "applicable, not menely to g.".yr..tu"s directed against nacialminorities, but to those aimed at religious, ethnic, economic, and poli-tical groups ars wc. ll.rl

The natified plan minimizes the influence of the Republican panty inAlamance County because there ane no effective Republican onganizationsin most of the other counties of the second District of the ratified planof I98l.

The most effective Congnessional representation will come fnom the mostcornpact geographical districts possible. Tlre ratified plan does notachieve this. The Gaffney vs. Cummings opinion stated that distnictsmay be equal and sffi

I arrr n.t an dItonney, but I hope l have given aciequtite reasons whythe Congressional Redistricting Plan adopted by the Nonth Canolina Gene-nal Assembl;, cf 1981 should be rejected by the Justice Department.

Si ncerel y,

e,*O,mrpi""r7{ori"o \CDA/joa



O1

NATIONAI ASSOCIATION FOt THE ADYANCE*IENT
SEYENTEEN NINETY BROADWAY . NEW YORK. N.

. pleosc dir,.; v,ly ,o,

ROBESON COUNTY BRANCH
Angus B. Thompson, Sr.Pres. of Robeson County nrlnctr NAACP

J10S Fairmont Road
Lumberton,N. C. 29359

919_739-7329

JuZg 2, t981

I{t. Getald W. Jones
Chief of Voting Rjghts SectjonU.S. Dept. of Justice
Washington, 20530 D.C.

Dear Nr. Jones:

Of COTORED PEOPTE

Y. r0019 . 2t2_245-2tOO

we the officers and nenbexs of, tlre &oDes on countg Branch of, NAACprespectfuTlg tequest ilzat before gout .epa,,tfl,..nt gives 
^nnronu)

to the North carorina pran for Redrst*c tiii-r'- i"" tlnzoughrg in_vestigate t',* effect it wi7.-i.o" on the bTack-voting lnpuTation.we feel tJrat especiazzg in tni- zr.st, Legisz;;;;" district xhen*t pzoposed pran wirr completeTg etininaii-rif, opportunixg foza black to be elected. e"-;;-lne- past the onlg assuraace forequitg for ar-r egnpre nust be irztorcea bJ- tii-i.decaz goveznr,rct.
n"'Zl::,:'o:r"::":":f, 

"":"";"rrzi[:;;;;;Z,;;;tz'ro,"q,"titi.---'

ScotTarfr 32,273 Zl,36lRoDeson l1l,S77 2S'rSgO
Combined Black (Scot. & Hoke
Cotnbined t+httg (Scot. e nok;)A Clear Ovet Balarre of
Sincerelg,

/l(Lq'* f3.@,"**,,-,*r" B. Thompson, s7.f
I

AEI:g j

Countg Total
Iloke 20,393

White Indian Others
I,g3g 2.578 92

18,745 2.062 lO439,989 35,577 487
Lg r436
27.581.+__

8 rL48 for I SEA1 !

Black
8,075

{o,

ill I
Ji IJ !ijl



SCOTLAND COUNTY BRANCH N.A.A.C.P.
P. O. Box 545

ITURINBURG, N. C. a,352

June 25, I98l

M;. Gera1d W. Jones
Chief Voting Rights Section
II. S. Dr'Pt'. of .Irrst..ice
WaslrirrgLou, DC 20530

Dear Mr. Jones:

'l'hc staLe of North caroli.na lras proposed a plan to redistrict variouscounti-es. In too many citizens opinions, ii their plan is successful, It
would dilute and unde:mind the minority votlng strength. Furthermorer
Robcrsonr llokc, ancl Scotlau<J counties f:rIl withLn the perimeter of theforestated p1an. Alsor vast number of citi.zens of HokL, Roberson, andScotland counties, percieved redistricting to be a treacherous act of thewhite minority to rcbell against the 1955 Voting Rights Act and to enhanceLlteir votlng strength. ?o be concise, it appeais that the plan proposed
by North Carolina and the democratic party 6i Scotlana Couniy is notivatedwith racial overtones.

re<iistricting of lloke county with scotland county, because it appearsto be racially motivated and aims at underminding the minority votingstrength. Alsor the N.A.A.C.P. Branch of Scotland county reqlest thatall deterruinations and deliberations be withheld until a through invest-gation has beea officially perfo:med.

During your investigation, will you please consider the 1980 Census reports.The 2Lst District population by race and county are as folrows:

COI]NTY
Hoke
Roberson
Scotlanrl

TO[At
20, 393

Lot,577
32,273

BI,ACKS

8, 075
25,590
11,361

2,579
35,511
2,062

omrms
92

487
104

I]IIITES INDIANS

If Hoke and Scotland counties become a nelg district, based upon the censusrePort which is not representative of the actual registered voters, theminority total wouLd only be 24ro76, as compared to be pres€nt exiiting
B6rL76, of the th.ree counties. Therefore, r say again pLease investigite
these proposed inequalities and let us know how rre may assist you. you
are our last hope.

8,838
39,ggg
L9,746

Sincerely yours,

Gnu,@
Rev. Leroy Davisr President
Of Scotlan6 Count] Branch
NAACP

8n Eo .tux lggl



HOKE COUNIY BRANCH OF

Presiden r,_ J i mmy Morriseyphone (919) 875{36;

N.A.A.C.P.
P.O. Box 50t

Raeford, N.C. 29376

June 16, lgBI

Gora-1r-i i'r . Jone sChlef of VotlnE Rls,frts Sectjon
9.s., - 

Dent . oi Justlce v vv
Viashlnfitonr Ij.C . 

- -z6.if 
c

Dcar lvir" JONES:

:1"'il:';;il{"ii3x:iiffi:.i:"x'1fu:pi:;n,"1};:r;,;rfr:.il; ,,El,",uti?i3:.,,il"the black populatioo:or-il;il county ao'oJi'rvish to be "uiirt"lcted frouthe 21st Disirict. oi llo"[il"Earorr"" *rri"i nglr. sta,,ds ,ritr, l?obuson, rrokc,li3":":l',11,?"r:Xlri:;;.Jii ;#l#."X;lil 1,,,, tr*,"" ;i;::" cou,iriis iii_
stands, vle haveCarolina llouso

representatlve r""i-"iii""districttng is ou"tsnuJ--il

IiOKE COUNTY BNANCH OF N.A.A.C.P.

the chance to.seat a black reprcsentaLivc inof l?epresentativa..r- r"-,Ii"^i^- - .
:.s yrould .na*orv our chan."i Ji*r,"rr"r"j";i::;
:l-:l:..1,r?_ 9i."l.ictu. 

--liJ"iuL 
tr,rt the re_di.ssolvc thc blacr ,Jti"e ;;;;"#;r une re-

As it now
tho irlorth

.A: you nqy aote, eyerywbererninority populalio" ;- il;;; -
appear. tye feel tuit tUis

{opu tbat you wi.ll be ableCaro1i.na, and tak; *ri"i.ru"

*.Slncerely,
]' I t

. PRBSIDEUT i

there is a hea.vy. consentration of black orare the areas that_ 
""ai"l.iltrrrs seems toi.s uaconstltutloaar auJ-;;i;".

to help us out in tbe rural south of Northstepe that you deem-o;;;rJ*y.

Sg.lU,rl rrgl 
,