Making Sense of the Census
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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,
The Fight
for a Full
Census
Count is a
Civil Rights
Battle
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.
Schneps Media June 25, 2020 15
/My2020Census.gov
