Black Groups Join to Increase African American Census Responses
Over the next 30 days, Unity Diaspora Coalition, whose partners include the NAACP, the Black Leadership Forum, the Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights, and other major black groups, will work with grassroots organizations across the nation to organize Census Sundays, town hall meetings, and other events to remind people to return their 2010 census forms.
People in hard to reach communities often neglect doing so for a variety of reasons, from distrust of government to downright laziness. But it comes at a cost because when they are not counted much-needed resources are diverted elsewhere.
“The effect of the undercount is particularly bad on the African American population because it really does effect how [legislative] districts are drawn and can be used to shrink African American districts and power,†said Barbara Arnwine, executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. By contrast, she added, when there is an accurate count, black communities can maintain or even make political gains.
Paraphrasing the late Rep. Shirley Chisholm, National Council of Negro Women chair and president emerita Dorothy Height said, “If you’re not in the count, you’ve counted yourself out.â€
“It’s time to hold our own community accountable,” said Melanie Campbell, who heads the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. “People keep looking for change, but we’re the change.”
The census events also will be used to get out the vote for the November mid-term elections.