2020 Census Information
 

The Cincinnati Counts Committee is encouraging all member organizations to think of the importance of getting people to participate in the 2020 Census as we celebrate Independence Day and beyond and fight for national revival of the idea of equal rights for all. 

The material below suggests reasons for individuals to complete the census and suggests ways our organizations can help make the census available in hard to count neighborhoods.

• Census 101
• Census Kiosk Best Practices
• Greater Cincinnati Counts Resource Library
• U.S. Census Bureau - 2020 Census

Please look this material over and let Mike (meamon@aol.com) know if you have ideas of how to increase community participation in the census or just do what you can in your own neighborhood. I hope some of these talking points will be useful:

The census builds America, so the census count should look like America. Everyone deserves to be counted — and should be —  for the benefit of their communities, their families, and their own well being.

As the Fourth of July approaches, we are reminded that many communities are still not free from discrimination, fear and racism. Making sure our communities are counted helps give us a say in who leads the political institutions that have the power to protect or harm us. It is a way to help reclaim those resources and bring in funding for health care, food, housing, and schools. 

Political change starts with political power, and everyone can build their power by participating in the 2020 Census.

• Everyone living in the United States has the right to be counted in the 2020 Census. Every immigrant, every child, every neighbor, every student, everyone.
• Even if you can’t vote, filling out the 2020 Census is a way to make your voice heard.

There’s power in numbers and participating in the 2020 Census helps give us the visibility we need to demand real change for our communities. ” Filling out the census says, “we’re here, we’re part of America, and our needs count.

• Too many of us don’t see our needs reflected in the funding our communities receive or in the policies that govern us. The census is a way to claim space -- you can influence how much money flows into your community and how it’s spent.
• Advocates and lawyers need census data to enforce the laws that protect our civil rights. The census shows the makeup of our communities which can help prove when discrimination occurs.
• Getting counted also helps give your community fair political representation. Make sure your elected officials, from Congress to city council, represent the actual concerns of your community, not someone else’s agenda.

Whether it’s putting money into schools and community food programs, protection from discrimination, or freedom from violence, our communities deserve to be made whole. The 2020 Census is a tool for change -- use it. 

--Micahel Maloney