NJ Congress Candidate Bashes Idea Of Redistricting In Montclair

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A longtime activist who is running for Congress in New Jersey’s 10th district isn’t pulling punches about her stance on the possibility of redistricting in Montclair.

On Monday, Imani Oakley – who is running in 2022 against U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. – issued a statement alleging that “misinformation” is being spread in the town when it comes to the possibility of altering district lines.

According to Oakley:

“Montclair — currently split between the 10th and 11th Congressional districts — is at the center of a redistricting political power play. To increase their influence, some local powerbrokers have proposed moving the historically Black South End and 4th Ward of Montclair out of the majority Black 10th and into the majority white 11th. This proposal would take Black and Brown voters in this neighborhood from a voting majority to a single-digit voting minority in the 11th.”

As a result, local Black political power would be “nullified,” Oakley claimed, adding that the idea has been met with opposition from some residents.

Oakley continued:

“These voters, however, have been targeted with disinformation meant to convince them that there is no redistricting alternative. Some residents have been told that Montclair is only 7 percent Black (it is roughly 25 percent, according to the 2020 census). Others have been told that Black voters must be removed from the 10th by law to balance out populations (the 10th must lose voters, but there are many ways to do that which don’t undermine Black and Brown voters, such as taking Glen Ridge and parts of Maplewood out of the district). The misinformation, however, underlines the simple truth about this proposal: it will hurt Black voters. Moving Montclair into the 11th is not about providing accurate representation. It is an emotionally driven power play by local consultants and big donors. According to data from Dave’s Redistricting and the 2020 Census, the 11th district with all of Montclair would be about 6 percent Black compared to 68 percent white. Black voters would be a tiny voting minority, all but guaranteed to be ignored in favor of the concerns of the district's white majority. Even if the 11th encompassed all of Montclair, West Orange, Orange and South Orange, the district would only be around 10 or 11 percent Black — again, according to data from Dave’s Redistricting and the 2020 Census. The 10th district is currently 53 percent Black.”

“The proposal to move Montclair into the 11th is another instance in a long history of racist attitudes towards New Jersey voters of color,” Oakley concluded. “The South End and 4th Ward don’t want to be moved. Why must Black voters be trampled over just to secure power for white political insiders?”

• See related article: NJ's Electoral Maps Will Be Redrawn This Fall (What That Means)
• See related article: NJ Prisoners May Play Key Role In Redistricting: Here's Why

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