#CountMeBlack adopted by black community for census incentive

Numerous black organizations are urging African Americans to fill out census forms, because of their importance in the community. The National Urban League’s Black Census Roundtable and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation’s Unity Diaspora Coalition have partnered with more than 40 state and local organizations to raise awareness and increase participation in the census.

With so many organizations getting the word out, the hope is that an accurate count among black households will provide the funding that’s so lacking in underserved communities. Social media has exploded with posts, including “The 2020 Census is our opportunity to get our fair share of the more than $675 billion per year in federal funds spent on schools, hospitals, roads, public works and other vital programs;” “Many Black women are heads of households for their families. Make sure to list everyone living in your home. The power is in your hands. Fill out your census form today!”; and “Black men are disproportionately undercounted in the census. Our Black men and boys matter!”

The President of the National Urban League, Marc Morial, is on board with this initiative by saying that even with the challenge of the pandemic, it’s so important for everyone to be counted in the 2020 census. He encouraged black participation by saying, “This pandemic is as bad as we feared it would be, but we must move forward. We must encourage our people to fill out the forms online. The census is power and we must be counted,” he said.