An Open Letter To the Florence County Delegation Members:

I am in receipt of your map. In my opinion it was a better and fairer map that did not place two elected officials who happen to be African-American males in the same district, while at the same time not placing any of the 6 white board members in the same district.

Yet, I am highly confused why the legislative delegation is continuing to gentrify the African-American vote in Florence County to dilute and disaggregate the power of 1 Man: 1 Vote, and to place 2 African-American elected school board members into the same gerrymandered district.

Even more alarming is the fact that the Florence Delegation is comprised of majority African-Americans, and Mr. Lowe has proudly asserted that a Super Majority of the Florence Delegation has supported his map which ensures that only the 2 African-American males are placed in the same district to ultimately cause them to be in an election. Interesting the 2 white board members- who's districts share contiguous borders and are contiguous to the present FSD4 border- which has a heavy concentration of African-Americans, their districts have been maintained and basically left untouched and preserved.

Gerrymander and diluting the African-American vote will disenfranchise the African-American population in Florence County.

It is clear the consolidation of Florence 4 into Florence 1 will have a major increase on the African-American student population in the school district. Since 2000, and 2010 Census, FSD1's Board participated in creating their own map and voted in public just as the county. Who made the decision to change the historical precedence, and courtesy? As this new practice and custom by the delegation does follow the home rule.

With consolidation of the the two schools districts, this delegation could have considered the following:

* Countywide Consolidation

* Adding 1 or 2 Additional Seats with “1Man: 1 Vote” Rule

* Beaufort County has 11 Board Members and Greenville County has 12 Board Members

Interesting the map approved by the House, and now awaiting for Tuesday with an already unanimous vote; only maintains 3 African-American Super Concentrated Majority Districts, and 6 white Majority Districts, with one district that is Super, Concentrated White certainly outlines the strategy of this delegation to perpetuate a divided community, split precincts without regards for natural community borders within the school district and local community.

Elder Alexis D. Pipkins, Sr.

843-615-0229