Ohio is among the top 10 states where gerrymandering runs rampant. Now, a chorus of Black Faith leaders are uniting and urging Ohioans to vote yes on Issue 1, which will end gerrymandering by empowering citizens, instead of politicians, to draw fair legislative maps in an open and transparent process. More than sixty Black faith leaders released an open letter urging Ohioans to vote YES on Issue 1. 

The letter read, in part: “Historically, gerrymandering has been used as a weapon to disenfranchise communities of color, diluting our voices and diminishing our representation in government. This manipulation of voting districts has allowed politicians to choose their voters rather than voters choosing their representatives. These nefarious practices undermine the very foundation of our democracy and perpetuate systemic inequalities.” 

 It continued: “The system is so flawed that the Ohio Supreme Court has deemed our current voting districts unconstitutional. In fact, during the last redistricting process, when politicians were in charge of the process, the court ruled that the lines were unconstitutional seven times. Issue 1 will remove current and former politicians from having a say in our map-creating process. Under this new plan, our redistricting commission will reflect diversity with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents working together.” 

“Regardless of our backgrounds, we value our freedoms, including our freedom to have an equal say in our elections,” said Michael Harrison, Senior Pastor of Union Baptist Church (Youngstown) and President of the Ohio State Baptist Convention. “Some legislators want to rule over, not represent us. That’s why it is imperative we turn out to stop the agenda to take away our freedoms and decide our futures for us. If we join together, we can make Ohio a place of freedom for all, no exceptions. That’s why it’s imperative for all of us to get involved and turn out to vote.” 

Read the full statement here.