Fair Districts donates materials to library

The local chapter of Fair Districts PA donated educational resources to the West Chester Public Library.

WEST CHESTER >> The Chester County Chapter of Fair Districts PA donated four educational resources recently on the headline-making topic of gerrymandering to the West Chester Public Library.

Interest in gerrymandering—the practice of dividing a geographic area into representative districts in a way that gives unfair political advantage to one party or group in an election—has surged in recent months, both on a national and local level. In Montgomery, Chester, and Philadelphia counties alone, more than 3,000 people have attended informational sessions about gerrymandering within the past two months.

Formed in January 2016, FDPA is a nonpartisan, statewide coalition of individuals and organizations working to ensure that Pennsylvania’s redistricting process is transparent, impartial, and fair. Noted Kate Young of FDPA— Chester County: “FDPA has been bombarded in recent months with requests for information about gerrymandering. With such a growing demand for educational materials, we want to make sure that local libraries have current resources available to provide to their communities.”

The resources donated by FDPA to the West Chester Library include three books: Ratf**ked: The True Story Behind the Secret Plan to Steal America’s Democracy by David Daley, Gerrymandering in America: The House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, and the Future of Popular Sovereignty by Anthony J. McGann and Charles Anthony Smith, and Partisan Gerrymandering and the Construction of American Democracy by Erik J. Engstrom as well as the DVD, Gerrymandering (Green Film Company).

Victoria Dow, Director of the West Chester Public Library, was appreciative of the donation: “It was great to receive these materials. We’ve noticed an increased interest in the topic of gerrymandering and I’m pleased that we can provide the community with the information it seeks.”

Fair Districts PA (FDPA) is a nonpartisan, statewide coalition of individuals and organizations working to ensure that Pennsylvania’s redistricting process is transparent, impartial, and fair.