Letter: Candidates Ought To Endorse Diverse Redistricting

MEDFORD, MA — The following letter to the editor was submitted by Medford resident Matt Leming.

Every decade, the state redraws boundaries for the state legislature and congressional districts. A 2019 report by MassINC and Tufts found that elected bodies of Massachusetts do not represent the state's diversity, and while some progress has been made in the past two years, the redrawing of districts is a rare opportunity to practically and systematically address this issue. At a time when BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities disproportionately suffer from police brutality, housing discrimination, and the adverse effects of COVID, having proportionate representation matters.

Elected officials and candidates of Medford, especially with the upcoming elections for school board and city council, ought to vocally and transparently support new majority legislative districts for BIPOC communities.

Matt Leming
Resident, Medford, MA