By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher | San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper | Chairman of the Board, National Newspaper Publishers Association | As California enters the redistricting battle over control of the U.S. House of Representatives, it is very interesting to observe the line up for and against Proposition 50 which would place Redistricting on the November Ballot. From the moment the Governor signed the legislation, the opposition immediately started direct mail campaigns. The supporters of the measure, mainly the Democratic Party, began to gather and spend money on Radio and television Ads and the polling of the people in the state to see where Support could be found. As usual, the African American community, which largely votes democratic, has not been included in the early stages of this campaign on either side.
We should take a close look at how we are being viewed in this process which will affect our future as much as anyone else in this state. Could it be that some think we might not understand the process and therefore will not vote anyway, or could it be that the opposition assumes that all or at least most Black people will vote democratic while the democrats assume that the Black vote is in the bag and therefore, not bother to campaign for our support?
This might be a good time to remind everyone of the Supreme Court Decision in Reynolds v. Sims (1964), which requires states to use the total population of a state in drawing congressional districts rather than voting eligible populations. This doctrine ensures that each person’s vote carries the same weight and that none are more important than others. It appears that politics, polling, and dollars are deciding that not all votes are of equal importance by how campaign dollars are being spent.
There exists a Constitutional requirement of inclusion in this political process. The Black Press is still the Trusted Messenger of our communities. We are committed to the people we serve and have served for 198 years. We are a part of Due Process under the California State Constitution and therefore all efforts to reach our communities should and must include us. We can read and we understand the political process, having been a victim of it for more than 100 years. It should be remembered that we not only reach our communities, but we touch those we reach.
To you, our readers, you should measure, in part, the sincerity of those seeking your support by whether or not you have seen their message in our Black newspapers. How can one say they support and need our vote, but ignore our Black press while they spend all their dollars with White media?
Our communities, our voice, our votes, and our press must be as important at the beginning of every campaign as anyone else’s. You the reader validate us just as we validate you every week with our coverage. Remember, every election can be won with just one vote. Will we be the ones to make the difference?