What’s at Stake
According to Census Bureau data, there are an estimated 23 million Black females living in the United States.
Of these, approximately 17 million Black women are over the age of 18.
Roughly 800,000 Black women are not US citizens.
Over 300,000 Black women are veterans.
The net undercount of Black females in the United States was 0.1% in 2010.
However, the omission rates for Black women (i.e., how many women were missed) varied by age:
9.7% of women aged 18–29 were missed
6.2% of women aged 30–49 were missed
2.8% of women 50 and above were missed
Sisters for the Census
A joint, civic engagement campaign with the National Council of Negro Women and Fair Count, Inc. to ensure that Black women, children, and families are fairly and accurately counted in the 2020 Census
Never in a generation has the Census been so important. From nearly $1.5 trillion a year in resources to the equal distribution of political power, what happens on April 1, 2020 will have a pivotal impact on the decade to come-- especially in communities labeled Hard to Count.
An inaccurate count manifests in insufficient resources, overcrowded schools, underfunded healthcare and social services and political representation that does not represent the community. Sound familiar?
Therefore, Fair Count and the National Council of Negro Women are launching the “Sisters for the Census” campaign to obtain accurate census counts across the nation. Fair Count has developed tools and strategies to ensure a fair and accurate 2020 Census, with a particular focus on HTC communities.
Together, we will work to help recruit women across the country for jobs as Census enumerators, providing employment and engaging trusted community members who will work to ensure that everyone is counted. Moreover, we will work to form a Rapid Response Taskforce that will be engaged during the Census Bureau’s Non-Response Follow-up Period to ensure that all Black women, children, and families are counted.
The news is saturated with articles about the power that Black women will yield in the 2020 election, but Black women must also harness that power to ensure a fair count in the 2020 Census. As leaders, mothers, entrepreneurs, sisters, teachers, partners, and mentors, Black women will lead the charge to make sure that Black children, families, and communities receive the resources and representation that they deserve.
“Black women are instrumental to the success of our communities, and we will play a vital and leading role in ensuring that our families, friends, and neighbors are fairly counted in the 2020 Census.”
About Fair Count & The 2020 Census
In 2020 the Census Bureau will conduct the decennial count of every person in America. The long-term impact this count will have on communities is resounding as the census guides reapportionment, redistricting, and directs nearly $1 trillion dollars annually to communities across the nation. For every person missed by the count, states lose thousands of dollars a year (in Georgia it is $2300/person).
The census isn’t just some simple tally of how many people are in America at a time, the census determines if a community will spend the next decade underserved and underfunded. The Urban Institute is predicting one of the largest undercounts of Black and LatinX populations in decades. Both communities, along with others such as small children, immigrants, renters, LGBTQ and more, are what the Census Bureau often refers to as Hard to Count (HTC) populations. Fair Count is committed to ensuring that all Hard to Count communities are fairly and accurately counted in the 2020 Census.
ABOUT FAIR COUNT:
Fair Count, a 501(c)(3) organization founded by Stacey Abrams, is committed to getting a fair and accurate count in Georgia and the nation in the 2020 Census, particularly in HTC groups while strengthening pathways to civic participation. This work will be crucial as challenges of the 2020 Census are great. Learn more about Fair Count’s work at www.FairCount.org.