via Pexels
Black people have a long history of being used and abused in the USA so it’s understandable that the census might make some feel concerned. The thing is, whether someone wants to participate or not doesn’t matter when it comes to how being counted affects us.
Black people are one of the primary groups considered most likely to be overlooked in the census. While estimates vary, the crucial thing to understand about the count is, whether we participate or not, the numbers will STILL affect us.
Much needed resources that influence things like hospitals, social security, political representation, and lots of federal dollars are allocated through the census. The numbers matter in how things are divvied up. Counting Black people means deciding who gets what.
According to the Urban Institute, “Florida, California, Georgia, New York, Nevada, Texas and New Mexico have the highest risk for undercounting.” And PBS reports that “undercounting could diminish power and money in those areas for the next decade.”
$675 billion in federal spending will be affected by the 2020 census and if Black people are not counted to our fullest extent, that’s not good. Make sure your friends and family know the importance of the census so our numbers don’t come up short in any way possible!