PREMIERE OF VOTING RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY “EASTPOINTE”
More Equitable Democracy and Campaign Legal Center are co-hosting the world premiere of the documentary “ Eastpointe ,” which captures the historic use of proportional representation as a remedy to a Federal Voting Rights act lawsuit in Eastpointe, Michigan.
When the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) sued a quiet suburb of Detroit and alleged their election system diluted the votes of the city’s African American population, a long history of racial tensions was unearthed and a momentous election took place. After tense negotiations, both parties agreed to allow proportional representation to be the remedy, a historic first for a Voting Rights Act case.
The film follows DOJ officials, community members, and candidates during this significant election.
George Cheung, Director of More Equitable Democracy, said, “Everyone deserves meaningful representation. Eastpointe is an important story about how a community rejected winner-take-all elections as a way for the Black community to have its voice heard. Though their specific form of proportional representation still leaves much to be desired, Eastpointe has broken new ground and will inspire communities around the country to rethink how to achieve racial equity within an electoral system.”
Individuals can register to attend the screening on Zoom The trailer can be viewed on Vimeo
For more information or questions, contact Carlos Ochoa at 901-608-0167 or Colin Cole at 206-726-1818.
More Equitable Democracy is racial justice organization led by people of color and serves as a nonprofit intermediary working with communities of color to advance electoral system reforms that increase representation for underrepresented communities. We work as co-creators within these communities to establish stronger bonds of democracy while empowering these groups with education, research, and the tools to strategically implement long-term change.
