SUMMIT – When redrawing U.S. congressional lines, black citizensSaturday urged a legislative committee to ensure no “retrogression”of minority voting strength, while other citizens sought to seesmall communities and rural areas included in the process.

Saturday’s meeting at Southwest Mississippi Community Collegewas the sixth of 11 public hearings around the state as alegislative panel looks at redrawing the state’s five U.S.representative districts into four following 2000 census totals.The population totals entitle the state to only fourrepresentatives instead of the current five.

“This is an important area of the state and an area we very muchwant to hear from,” said Rep. Tommy Reynolds, chairman of theredistricting panel, as he opened the meeting.

The message from most hearing speakers was no retrogression interms of racial representation and protection of incumbency.

Hollis Watkins, of McComb, said race cannot be the predominantfactor, but is should a factor in the process. He urged lawmakersto not “kick race to the curb” and not dilute minority votingstrength.

“Mississippi is one its way to being all it can be, a place withall people having a fair and equal chance to elect people of theirchoice,” he said.

Melvin Hollins, of the McComb NAACP chapter, urged protection ofincumbents and grouping of people with shared or similarinterests.

“Communities with similar histories and interests ought to beconsidered when drawing lines,” Hollins said.

With 36 percent of the state population, Hollins said the blackpopulation should be entitled to keep its representation.

“The black population should be considered in any and allcircumstances,’ Hollins said.

Derrick Johnson, of McComb, said keeping the chance of electingblack representation after redistricting is the first priority.

“Currently, we have that opportunity and we would not want tolose that opportunity after this next round,” he said.

Reynolds and Rep. George Flaggs, of Vicksburg, pointed out thatno retrogression also relates to other districts. For example,Flaggs said current District Two U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson’s areacould not be increased to 80 percent black at the expense of otherdistricts’ totals.

Speakers also expressed other views on the redistrictingprocess.

Rankin County’s Jim Giles, a vocal advocate of keeping thecurrent flag in last month’s election, said the state shouldchallenge Section Five of the Voting Rights Act that governsminority voting strength. He said Mississippi is “imposed upon assecond-class citizens” by the act provisions.

“Our own self worth as citizens is on the line here,” Gilessaid.

Giles likened the state’s situation to the Berlin Wall and likeGermany, the Section Five provisions should come down forMississippi.

Giles said Mississippi should send a message to the rest of thenation that a “new era” has arrived and it can manage its affairswithout government oversight. Like a conquered territory, he saidMississippi has to ask for approval from the federal government onnew district lines.

“They don’t have to do that in other states and we ought nothave to do it here,” Giles said.

Summit residents Jim and Missy Hancock spoke in favor ofcompact, geographically similar districts and representation ofsmall towns and rural areas in the redistricting process. Praisingthe current representation, Missy Hancock said the Fourth Districtcould be maintained by adding a few areas.

Jim Hancock speculated that the Fourth and Second Districts werethe most densely populated of the current five.

“It doesn’t seem very logical that these areas should be choppedup,” he said. “If it is, (a new district) would stretch up and downthe Mighty Mississippi.”

Following the hearing, Reynolds said the panel would develop aplan that follows Voting Rights Act provisions. The plan could beacted upon by the legislature either in a special session laterthis year or during next year’s regular session.

Regarding potential changes, Reynolds said the Fourth Districtis starting in good place with it being bordered by the river onthe west and Louisiana to the south.

“I don’t want to see the composition of the Fourth Districtunalterably changed when there’s no need for it,” Reynoldssaid.