Redistricting of the People, by the People, for the People
The Southern Coalition for Social Justice is excited to support CROWD Academy graduates to serve as regional CROWD Academy Fellows for two years starting in the summer of 2020! Fellows will learn skills to support their community and partner organizations in their organizing efforts to monitor and intervene in the 2020-2022 redistricting cycle.
Fellows will educate their community on the redistricting process and intervention points, monitor the redistricting process as it pertains to their community, and will be able to draw and propose alternative maps using map-drawing software.
Get to know our CROWD Academy Fellows!
Channelle is empowered by the impact she can make as a CROWD Academy Fellow. She is already conducting workshops in her community to educate others about the 2020 Census and the redistricting happening next year.
Channelle is passionate about working with and for her community. She wants to help create the country that we all deserve. She is pleased that the CROWD Academy Fellowship is equipping her with the information and skills she needs to help make this happen. One of the tools she learned about during the CROWD Academy training is how to draw fair redistricting maps. She plans to use this tool to fight for the representation her community deserves.
Host organization: Community Ventures Inc.
Keisha believes the CROWD Academy Fellowship is a unique opportunity to enact long-lasting change across North Carolina. She is excited about having input into the next 10 years by taking an intentional role in designing maps that will benefit all North Carolinians.
One of the things Keisha appreciates about the CROWD Academy Fellowship is the opportunity to learn from highly experienced and knowledgeable presenters. She feels this Fellowship is enabling her to advocate for her community more effectively.
Host organization: Pasquotank County NAACP
Email: keishad73@gmail.com
Keith is a faith and community leader in Columbus County, North Carolina. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors of Men and Women United for Youth and Families, a nonprofit organization focusing on underserved rural communities in southeastern NC.
Keith decided to become a CROWD Academy Fellow because he believes that community members must know how the redistricting process works. He hopes to engage his fellow community members in the upcoming redistricting process. He believes this Fellowship will equip him with the necessary tools to advocate for fair redistricting lines.
Host organization: Men and Women United for Youth & Families
Email: CROWDNCfellow21@gmail.com
Based in Chattanooga, TN, Michaela is excited to be a CROWD Academy Fellow. Her favorite part of the CROWD Academy was getting to practice drawing maps and using the related software.
Michaela believes that during the 2011 redistricting process in Tennessee, maps were passed through the legislature by political players focusing on highly partisan interests. She knows that when maps are drawn prioritizing incumbency or partisanship, they often ignore the needs of our most vulnerable communities. Michaela hopes to facilitate a redistricting process that protects the rights of traditionally disenfranchised voters in communities across Tennessee.
Host organization: UnifiEd
Email: Michaela@unifi-ed.org
As the Black Voters Matter Fund State Coordinator for Tennessee, Timothy works at the intersection of public policy and social justice issues. He believes the CROWD Academy Fellowship is a unique opportunity to connect his professional interests around equity with the skills he needs to advocate for a fair and just redistricting process in Tennessee.
Timothy particularly enjoyed the CROWD Academy discussions that had a legal framing. He believes the work that he and the other Fellows will be able to accomplish will depend on their ability to understand the mechanics of the processes within the existing legal structures.
Host organization: Civic TN
Email: MiddleTNCROWD@gmail.com
