Community Engagement in Miami's New District Map Formation: Addressing Racial Gerrymandering

Miami, June 5, 2023 - In the wake of a ruling on racial gerrymandering, the City of Miami's district map has been invalidated, prompting community groups to seek input from residents for the creation of a new map.

Recently, Judge K. Michael Moore issued an order mandating the City of Miami to discard its existing map of the five commission districts. This decision followed allegations made by plaintiffs represented by the ACLU of Florida, who argued that the city had drawn the map primarily based on racial considerations.

Judge Moore concurred with a report indicating the likelihood of the plaintiffs' success in their claims, which were substantiated by comments made by city commissioners during public meetings. In these discussions, Commissioners Alex Diaz de la Portilla and Joe Carollo emphasized the preservation of three Hispanic districts, one Black district, and one white district, in collaboration with map consultant Miguel De Grandy.

The City filed an appeal on May 31 and requested a temporary stay on enforcing the order during the appeal process. Following a status conference with Judge Moore on Friday, ACLU of Florida attorney Nicholas Warren disclosed that the judge had indicated his inclination to deny the motion. However, no updates to the case docket have been provided to confirm this.

The plaintiffs, including advocacy groups Engage Miami and the Grove Rights and Community Equity (GRACE), have developed their own proposals for "logical" district shapes, which incorporate natural boundaries such as the Miami River and major roadways as district borders.

To present these proposed maps to the community, the groups have organized a community forum scheduled for Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. The event will take place at Greater St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Coconut Grove.

Reverend Nathaniel Robinson III, pastor at Greater St. Paul and a plaintiff in the case, addressed the broader purpose of the lawsuit during the Friday press conference. He emphasized the lawsuit's objective of ensuring meaningful and equitable representation for every citizen and resident within the city of Miami. Robinson emphasized that the case was not solely about one community or neighborhood but encompassed the entire city and all its residents.

According to Judge Moore's recent scheduling order, the City and the plaintiffs must engage in mediation before June 23 to reach an agreement on a new map. If an agreement cannot be reached, Miami must submit its own map that aligns with the U.S. Constitution by June 30.

To allow sufficient time prior to the local elections in November, a non-racially gerrymandered map must be finalized and implemented by August 1.