NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Today, Natasha Korgaonkar, Assistant Counsel with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) testified at a redistricting hearing before New York's Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR). ?

"LATFOR plays a critical role in assisting the state legislature with the creation of redistricting plans at both the federal and state level," said Korgaonkar. ?"Our testimony today strongly encouraged adherence to traditional redistricting principles, including compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act, in order to ensure that New York's communities of color are fairly represented in this redistricting cycle."

LDF's testimony also focused on the importance of keeping minority communities of interest together, maintaining existing effective minority opportunity districts, and seeking additional opportunities to create new such districts in light of growing and shifting populations in communities of color. ?

A copy of Ms. Korgaonkar's testimony can be found here.

ABOUT LDF

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is America's premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans. LDF also defends the gains and protections won over the past 70 years of civil rights struggle and works to improve the quality and diversity of judicial and executive appointments.

Media Contact: Mel Gagarin
(212) 965-2783, mgagarin@naacpldf.org

SOURCE NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund