Making Sense of the Census
Caribbean L 8 ife, June 26-July 2, 2020
Sen. Kevin Parker, center, with residents of Glenwood Houses after distributing
boxes of Fresh Direct boxes of produce. Kevin Parker
Sen. Parker distributes
groceries to residents
By Tangerine Clarke
Five hundred residents of Glenwood
Houses in Brooklyn, benefited from a grocery
distribution, thanks to Sen. Kevin
Parker, who on Wednesday, June 10, handed
out Fresh Direct boxes of produce, in
his ongoing giveback to the community
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the initiative, in partnership
with the Glenwood Houses Residents
Association, Sen. Parker expressed gratitude
to both Fresh Direct and the residents
association for helping make the
event a success.
“It’s during times of difficulty such as
these that the initiative and generosity
of the fine people at Fresh Direct and the
Glenwood Houses Residents Association
cannot be underappreciated,” said Sen.
Parker. “While the issue of food insecurity
in our district is one we will continue to
address, I’m hopeful that events like this
will help us more comfortably continue
on our path back to normalcy,” he added.
The lawmaker, who represents Brooklyn’s
21st Senate District, that encompasses
sections of Flatbush, East Flatbush,
Midwood, Ditmas Park, Kensington,
Windsor Terrace and Park Slope, said
he was confident that whenever the need
arises, members of the community would
come forward to support each other.
“Communities that make it through
tough times do so because they are willing
to come together. I’m proud and
encouraged to see our community has
shown that today. I look forward to hosting
more giveaways within the next few
weeks,” said the politician who on June
8, along with the Senate Majority passed
monumental legislation to address police
reform.
This legislation, Bill S.3253B: sponsored
by Sen. Parker, will clarify that a
person not under arrest or in custody
has the right to record police activity and
to maintain custody and control of that
recording, and of any property or instruments
used to record police activities.
Senate Bill S.8492: also sponsored
by Senator Kevin Parker, establishes a
private right of action for a member of
a protected class when another person
summons a police or peace officer on
them without reason to suspect a crime
or an imminent threat to person or property
existed.
The Democrat, on Tuesday, June
9 passed Senate Bill S.8493: that will
require state police to wear body cameras
when on duty.
“For years communities of color have
been victims of poor policing policies,
which has created a division between inner
community residents and police officers.
The recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna
Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and countless
others has put pressure on lawmakers
to be proactive about creating solutions,”
said Parker.
According to the lawmaker, “Sunlight
is the best disinfectant! The right
to record an act will ensure protection for
people who record misconduct by police.
The senseless murder of George Floyd is
a stark example of why transparency is
needed.”
“Social media is rampant with videos of
people “weaponizing” the 911 emergency
system against African-Americans hoping
to see them falsely arrested or worst. This
legislation is by no means a solution to
the systematic injustices and prejudices
that fuel these types of calls to the police.
However, this law gives victims of this
despicable behavior the beginnings of
some recourse.”
Explaining the Body Camera Bill,
Senator Parker said, “Too often injustices
go unseen and police officers feel
emboldened to act as judge and jury. Body
cameras will diminish the trust deficit
between the police and the communities
they serve.”
By Jumaane Williams, New
York City Public Advocate and Julie
Menin, Director of NYC Census 2020
From this country’s founding,
the census has been abused as a tool
of oppression. From the “Three-
Fifths” compromise, to the weaponization
of the census during Jim
Crow, to the undercounting of Black
communities across America today,
the census has robbed Black Americans
of resources and attempted to
strip them of their humanity.
But the census can also be an instrument
of justice, if – and only if
– all New Yorkers are counted. Our
commitment to count every household
in this city is a commitment
to ensure that Black communities
across New York get the resources
and the representation they are
owed.
The census is a civil rights issue.
While the current protests for Black
lives were sparked by George Floyd
and Breonna Taylor’s murders at
the hands of police, the reasons for
protest run beyond any individual
action or issue. In New York City
and across the country, we have
seen centuries of systemic racial
inequality in housing, education,
health care, and so much more. The
census directly funds programs
that serve to address these inequities.
Census data is used to determine
Title I funding to schools. Section
8 Housing Choice Vouchers are
funded by census-derived data. As
the energy driving these protests
can and must drive change in many
areas, it must also drive New York
City towards a complete census
count.
The census isn’t only about
funding – It’s about representation.
It determines how many seats,
how many voices, we have in the
House of Representatives. Amid the
COVID-19 response and recovery,
and the federal action it demands,
we will need as many advocates as
we can get in the halls of Congress.
But if we are undercounted, we
risk losing up to two seats across
the state. And if those seats are
carved out of predominantly Black
neighborhoods, it will inevitably
mean another setback for combating
the many urgent inequities we
face in New York. Accurate representation
at every level of government,
including the city and state,
is also contingent upon the census.
Many of the reforms currently being
pushed and passed would not be
possible without a complete and accurate
census.
Right now, we are seeing a significant
range of levels of census
self-response among New York City
neighborhoods with large Black and
Pan-African communities. Some,
like Co-Op City (self-response rate
of 68.3% as of June 11) and Starrett
City (62.9%), far outpace much of
the city. But others, like Wakefield
(43.8%), Jamaica (44.2%), and Canarsie
(44.0%), are below the city’s
total rate. If Black New Yorkers
don’t complete the census, it could
be one fewer member of the Congressional
Black Caucus representing
the five boroughs. We cannot let
that happen.
The COVID-19 crisis also demonstrates
how when neighborhoods
are undercounted, we lose critical
community resources. This year,
we witnessed Elmhurst Hospital
and our broader health system be
stretched to the brink and beyond
during a global pandemic, with resources
scarce and lives lost.
In our most recent census in 2010,
New York City had a self-response
rate that trailed the national rate
by 14 percentage points. This time
around, our census self-response
rate still trails the nation, now by
9 percentage points. The good news
is that since May, we are gaining
ground each day. With every New
Yorker’s help, we will continue to
close that gap.
We need all hands on deck for
the census. It’s one tool, but an important
one, toward rebuilding after
COVID-19 and our city centers
Black lives. In just ten minutes, by
visiting My2020Census.gov, or by
calling 844-330-2020, you can complete
the census – one concrete action
to help get Black New Yorkers
the resources and representation,
the voice and the vote, they deserve.
“Making Sense of the Census” is
a weekly column from Julie Menin,
Director of NYC Census 2020. Every
week we will be publishing pieces
from Julie and guest authors laying
out the facts and answering tough
questions about this year’s census.
Fill out the census now at my2020census.
gov.
The Fight
for a Full
Census
Count is a
Civil Rights
Battle
/My2020Census.gov