The Serious Task of Redistricting Our Communities in Colorado

Carmen Medrano

No matter where we come from or the color of our skin, most of us want the same things: a home, a living wage, and the opportunity to leave a better future for our kids and grandkids. We want healthy food and clean water, affordable and safe neighborhoods to raise our families.

Sadly, barriers to these opportunities persist for communities of color, particularly the Latino community, and in nearly every imaginable category: healthcare, affordable housing, high-performing schools, air quality, good-paying jobs, vaccine access, economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and more. In the metro region, the communities that still lack these basic human needs are located along the I-25 and I-70 corridors. An analysis by the Colorado Health Institute showed persistent patterns of inequality in parts of Adams and Weld counties when compared to wealthier, whiter parts of the counties. In Commerce City, CO, the rising cost of housing creates incredible strain on current residents even as many Latino families continue to move there to escape skyrocketing housing costs in Denver. And it’s not going to slow down: according to the state demographer, over 1 million people will move to Colorado in the next two decades. Many of these new Coloradans will be people of color, continuing a trend that is already firmly underway. Every metro county except Denver has become less white over the last 20 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau; as more people move to Colorado, the importance of advocating for ourselves will only increase.

Ultimately, redistricting is the process of determining who has the power to influence lawmakers and elected officials who make policy determining the quality of our air, tax burdens on our wallets, and quality of our schools.

The redistricting process is intimately connected to these issues facing our communities. Ultimately, redistricting is the process of determining who has the power to influence lawmakers and elected officials who make policy determining the quality of our air, tax burdens on our wallets, and quality of our schools. This is a serious task, and groups that have been historically excluded from power must be respected and represented like we deserve. It is essential to ensure that our voices are heard—not drowned out by diluting or dividing our power.

The Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy, and Research Organization (CLLARO) has proposed legislative maps that keep our communities whole and powerful. They propose three State Senate districts in the north metro region that are 30, 46, and 48 percent Latino, offering meaningful representation to Adams County Latinos. Their Congressional map captures the movement from Denver’s Northside and Westside—traditionally the heart of the Latino community in the metro area—to Commerce City and Adams County, linking together areas with strong cultural, economic, and familial ties. These maps provide meaningful representation to our communities, and we strongly urge the Redistricting Commission to support their effort to draw fair and representative districts that empower each community to advocate for the lives of opportunity we desire and deserve.

Carmen Medrano is the Executive Director of United for a New Economy and UNE Action.

Read More Commentary: ELSEMANARIO.US