‘Politicians want to shut us down and keep power out of our hands’
In a show of unity in the face of lies by Ohio’s politicians, power brokers, and political insiders, some of the most prominent civil rights leaders in Ohio issued statements of support and appeared in a new ad calling on all Ohioans to vote yes on Issue 1 to end gerrymandering.
Issue 1 has been endorsed by every major civil rights organization in Ohio, including the NAACP, Ohio Unity Coalition, the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, and the Legislative Black Caucus.
“Here’s the truth,” the ad opens with Sam Gresham, Jr., Chair of Common Cause Ohio.
“Anyone trying to defeat Issue 1 is only out for themselves,” continues Petee Talley, Former Ohio AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer and Director of Ohio Unity Coalition.
“Politicians want to shut us down and keep power out of our hands,” adds Tom Roberts, President of NAACP Ohio State Conference.
“They even manipulated the description of Issue 1 to deceive us. Don’t be fooled,” Talley says.
They conclude: “Join the Ohio Organizing Collaborative and the NAACP in voting YES on Issue 1. Don’t trust their lies. Let’s finally hold the politicians accountable. Join us. Vote Yes on 1.”
The ad is available here. The full script with citations for the ad can be found at https://www.citizensnotpoliticians.org/dont-trust-their-lies-vote-yes-on-1/.
Gresham grew up in Chicago and moved to Columbus in 1974 after graduating from the University of Illinois. Since then, he has worked for the City of Columbus, served as the President and CEO of the Columbus Urban League, chaired Common Cause Ohio, and acted as the Executive Director for the Ohio Commission on African American Males. Roberts is a lifelong citizen of Montgomery County where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Dayton. A dedicated public servant,
Roberts served for 18 years in the Ohio House of Representatives and later in the Ohio Senate from 2001 to 2008. He has been a member of the NAACP for over two decades and currently serves as the President of the Ohio State Conference of the NAACP, a position he has held since 2017. Additionally, he is an advisor for the Sinclair Ohio Fellows Student Leadership Development Program and a former Commissioner for the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.
Talley is a longtime advocate for labor rights and social justice and served as the first woman to hold the position of Secretary-Treasurer for the Ohio AFL-CIO. She is also the Director of the Ohio Unity Coalition, an organization committed to civic engagement and voter empowerment, especially in communities of color. Talley has been a pivotal figure in Ohio’s labor movement for decades and continues to fight for fair representation and equity in the state.
In addition to the ad, the campaign released the following statements from leaders in the broader civil rights community:
Kayla Griffin Green, Cleveland NAACP, President: As we look ahead to the future of democracy in Ohio, let us not forget the lessons of history. Let us remember the struggles and sacrifices of those who fought for the right to vote, and let us honor their legacy by ensuring that every vote counts and every voice is heard. Redistricting for fair representation is not just a matter of policy; it is a moral imperative, a cornerstone of democracy that we must uphold for generations to come.
Andre Washington, Ohio State President of the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) and 2nd Vice President of the NAACP Ohio Conference: The extreme politicians who oppose Issue 1 don’t care about Black voters – they only care about protecting their own power. The bottom line is some politicians will say anything to keep our current broken system that lets them work with lobbyists to manipulate voting districts to discriminate against Black voters and silence Black voters’ voices. The good news is that voters aren’t buying their lies. Join civil rights leaders like the A. Philip Randolph Institute, NAACP, Ohio Unity Coalition, and Ohio Organizing Collaborative in supporting Issue 1 so we can make politicians accountable to us.
Petee Talley, Director of Ohio Unity Coalition: Ohio’s current rules allow politicians and their lobbyist friends to gerrymander voting districts in secret backroom deals to benefit themselves. But we’re ending that in November with a YES vote on Issue 1. Vote YES to reject the lies. Vote YES to fire the politicians and lobbyists from drawing maps. Vote YES so politicians have to listen to the people.
Kareem Crayton, Vice President of the Brennan Center for Justice :Politicians have subjected Ohio voters to extremely gerrymandered voting districts for far too long – Issue 1 will change the process for the better by taking them out of the equation. After decades of having biased maps that carve up Ohio communities and leave voters without meaningful choices, Ohioans will finally have the chance to take their power back this November. Issue 1 gives Ohio citizens the chance to draw fair districts that prioritize Ohio voters and communities.
Tom Roberts, President of the Ohio Conference of Branches of the NAACP: Gerrymandering for generations has harmed Black communities and Black people in Ohio, and Issue 1 will finally put an end to this scourge on our system of representative government. What could be more unaccountable than the politicians seven times imposing unconstitutional, gerrymandered maps on Ohio voters that are designed to dilute and divide Black communities? What could be more unaccountable than being one of the 10 most gerrymandered states in the nation?The new ad is the latest powerful salvo by the nonpartisan grassroots coalition.
Recently, the campaign launched a $20 million broadcast blitz with a TV advertisement speaking directly to the Buckeye State’s diverse citizenry, underscoring that conservative, progressive and independent Ohioans all agree on one thing: Yes on 1 will end gerrymandering by firing the politicians. That ad is available here.
Last week the campaign launched a statewide digital ad showing how the gerrymandering politicians have as much integrity as the cheating former head coach of the University of Michigan football team. That ad is available here.
When passed, the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment will establish an independent redistricting commission, free from current or former politicians and lobbyists. The initiative will create a fair, transparent, and impartial redistricting process that genuinely reflects the will of Ohio’s citizens.
More than 100 organizations, businesses, and thought leaders across Ohio champion the constitutional amendment. The diverse coalition supporting the historic initiative includes Republicans, Independents and Democrats and is made up of business groups, nonpartisan policy groups, labor unions, civil rights organizations, and faith-based organizations representing hundreds of thousands of Ohioans across the political spectrum.
A bipartisan group of more than 90 business leaders has also released an open letter endorsing the amendment. Gerrymandering, the practice of drawing political boundaries to favor a particular party or group, undermines fair representation and effective policy. Ohio is recognized as one of the worst states for gerrymandering, affecting the lives of millions of Ohioans.
The Citizens Not Politicians Amendment will:
- Create the 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission composed of Republican, Democratic, and independent citizens representing the state’s diverse geography and demographics.
- Ban current or former politicians, political party officials, and lobbyists from serving on the commission.
- Require the creation of fair and impartial districts, prohibiting any drawing of voting districts that discriminate against or favor any political party or individual politician.
- Operate under an open and independent process.
For more information about the lawsuit and the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment, visit www.citizensnotpoliticians.org.
About Citizens Not Politicians
Citizens Not Politicians is a grassroots, nonpartisan coalition of Republican, Democratic and Independent Ohio voters and includes nearly 100 organizations, businesses, and thought leaders across Ohio supporting a constitutional amendment that will end gerrymandering in the state.