For generations, Staten Island has been treated as a political monolith. But, anyone who lives there knows that’s no longer true. Over the past several decades, Staten Island has undergone a profound demographic transformation. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Black and Latino residents now make up nearly 30% of the borough’s population, up from a bit more than 10% in 1980. These residents are raising families, building businesses, and contributing significantly to the social and economic life of the borough. Yet, when it comes to congressional representation, they are denied a meaningful voice. That reality was laid bare in Williams vs. New York State Board of Elections. In the case, Acting Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Pearlman ruled that New York’s current congressional district covering Staten Island is unconstitutional and ordered New York’s Independent Redistricting Commission to draw a new map. This lawsuit is a necessary constitutional safeguard. The plaintiffs in this case did what citizens are entitled to do in a democracy: they asked whether the map respects the principle of equal representation. The court’s ruling affirms that when communities are fractured or configured in ways that dilute their voting power, the state Constitution provides a solution. This case reinforces the rule of law and ensures that New York’s redistricting process remains accountable to the people it is meant to serve, and now, it’s up to the state’s bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission to deliver. The ruling reflects a reality Staten Islanders already know well: the borough’s congressional lines no longer reflect who lives there today. The IRC now has both the opportunity and the obligation to correct that failure. On Staten Island, that means acknowledging that communities of color are a substantial and growing part of the borough. Under the current map, communities of color on Staten Islanders are grouped in a way that prevents their votes from translating into representation. Despite their size and shared interests, these communities are consistently overridden, leaving election outcomes effectively predetermined, regardless of how much they organize or participate. Representation is not simply about the right to cast a ballot. It’s about whether that ballot has a real chance to influence who governs and whose priorities are reflected in public policy. On Staten Island, that chance does not exist today. Voting data shows clear racial polarization, with Black and Latino residents consistently supporting different candidates than the borough’s white majority. When district lines are drawn in a way that ignores these realities, the result is structural exclusion. Communities of color are locked out of the political process even as their numbers grow. The IRC now has a legal obligation to draw a district that reflects Staten Island as it truly is. A fair map should recognize real cultural, economic, and transportation connections and ensure that communities who share common experiences and challenges are not divided in ways that weaken their collective voice. This is about whether New York’s redistricting process lives up to its most basic promise: equal opportunity to participate in democracy. New York has long claimed leadership on civil rights and now it’s time to walk the walk. Staten Island’s communities of color are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for what the New York Constitution promises and what justice requires: fair representation and a fighting chance to elect who represents them. Alexander is the executive director of NAACP New York State Conference. ...read more read less