There is still time to be counted. But time is running out.
The U.S. Census Bureau recently announced a deadline of Sept. 30 to submit census data. That means the time is now for everyone to be counted.
We’ve all been heartbroken over the persistent and intractable racial inequity that exists in this country. But what can we do about it as individuals?
We should protest injustice. We should vote. And we should be counted.
Not many people equate the Census with racial equity. But Census data is used to allocate resources for education, childcare, workforce training and health care. If we are undercounted, we lose resources that are rightfully ours. Hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake. Census data also draws political boundaries, which matters a lot to our representation in the halls of government. If we are undercounted, our state could lose congressional seats and more. All this matters a great deal.
Most of all, the census is our history. It is the record of who lived here, at this time and this place. It is the record of how diverse a nation we were. Please be a part of that record.
The reason why communities of color are undercounted in every census are varied. Some of it has to do with a distrust of government or a deep cynicism that anything will ever change. But no matter the reason, we should not let it stop us from being counted. In fact, the historic undercount of Black and brown communities should make our commitment to being counted even stronger. It is our right and our obligation.
There are not many things we can do that take only ten minutes but will last for centuries. But that’s what the census is; a small amount of effort to be counted in a ledger that is kept for all time.
If you have not filled out the 2020 Census, please do so today. Go to www.2020census.gov/ or call 844-330-2020.
