One neighborhood in Baton Rouge is petitioning to form its own city. But residents can’t help but notice that the new town would include fewer Black people and a lot more White people, 30 percent more to be exact.
The attempt to secede began when the mostly White neighborhood called Village of St. George decided to push for its own public school district. While their efforts have failed, the community’s latest campaign has garnered almost half of the 107,262 it needs to break away as its own city, according to the Huffington Post.
((checks handy dandy history book yet again)) Yep, Jim Crow ended in 1965.
Currently, Baton Rouge has a population that is 55 percent Black, 40 percent White and 3 percent Asian. The new city would be 70 percent White, 23 percent Black and 4 percent Asian, according to a Dec. 1 report by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.
Notice any significant jumps?
If the Village of St. George community gets enough signatures, which is just 25 percent of registered voters within the boundaries, the process would be far from over. The petition has to be certified by the Registrar of Voters and submitted to the governor, who must then hold a special election. Only registered voters within the proposed boundaries would be able to go to the polls.
Let’s see what happens with this one.
Your Turn: Do you think the village should be allowed to secede? Share your thoughts in the comments!
