1. The 2020 Census at Risk Why You Should Care and What Can You Do
Hosts:
Chris Harley, Census Campaign Director
Sergio Lopez, The Leadership Conference
Guest Speakers:
Terry Ao Minnis, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
Terri Ann Lowenthal, Census Consultant for The Leadership Conference

2. CENSUS 101 What is the census?
The census is a constitutionally required, once-a-decade count of every person living in the United States.
April 1, 2020 is Census Day.
Terry

3. Census 101 Why Do We Conduct A Census?
The Census is required by Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution.
Founding Father James Madison viewed the census as giving Congress the ability to “accommodate our laws to the real situation of our constituents.”
Under the Constitution, the population count is used to determine the number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and how many electoral votes each states will have for the following decade.
The Census is the Foundation for Representation in our Democracy.
As James Madison saw it, collecting information on the “particular circumstances of the community” would allow Congress to “accommodate our laws to the real situation of our constituents

4. CENSUS 101 Why do we conduct a census?
14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal representation require that congressional districts must have roughly equal numbers of people, so the census population numbers also are used to draw congressional district lines.
Public officials also rely on census counts to draw state and local voting districts
It is how we ensure Equal Representation.

5. CENSUS 101 How is Census Data Used?
Census data determines how almost $600 billion in federal programs are allocated to states, localities, and families every year
Tells state and local officials, community leaders how to invest in current and future needs for health care, education, housing, food and income security, rural access to broadband, and other services
Guide private-sector investments in new jobs, new facilities, and marketing
It is how we determine distribution of $600 billion in federal programs every year. For example, 5 HHS programs use census data to determine state-based allocations of Five HHS programs use the FMAP reimburse states for spending: Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), Foster Care, Child Care and Development Fund, and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

6. CENSUS 101: How is Census Data Used?
Data from census used as denominator to understand every socio-economic indicator of progress important to the civil rights community:
Crime rates
Incidence of disease
Access to health care
Graduation rates
Unemployment, and income/poverty
It helps us understand how well we are doing to eliminate disparities and disproportionate outcomes that impact vulnerable populations

7. Why It Matters
Every person living in the US and every community benefits from an accurate census
Census data can lead to access to healthcare providers and facilities, good schools, food and income security
Effective implementation of the Voting Rights Act relies on census race and ethnicity data
Terri Ann

8. Census Challenges
Census doesn’t count all population groups equally well
Non-Hispanic White, higher income households over-counted
“Hard to count” groups face systemic under-counts:
People of color
Low income households, urban & rural
Young children (ages 0−4), esp. Black & Latino kids
Limited English Proficient and foreign-born households
Single, female-headed households
Young adult mobiles
Result: higher rates of undercounting skew census data, impacting our representation in government and allocation of resources for the next 10 years
Counting every person in the U.S. is a massive and complex project.

9. Threats to 2020 Census Insufficient annual funding (appropriations)
Congress set unrealistic cap on 2020 Census cost (at/below 2010 level)
Revised lifecycle cost: $15.6 billion (+$3.3b)
Administration adjusted request for 2018: still not enough?
At risk: census operations specifically designed to reach hard-to-count communities
First high-tech census: cyber security threats, real and perceived; digital divide
Complex new IT system over budget and behind schedule
Leadership vacuum: unexpected resignation of Census Director
Potential appointment of partisan Deputy Director
Climate of fear: threatens participation in many communities
Proposals to add citizenship & legal status questions

10. What Now?
Next month: peak ‘dress rehearsal’ operations start in Providence Co., RI (2018 End-to-End Census Test)
By April 1, 2018: Census questions submitted to Congress
February – June 2018: state, local & tribal governments that registered for the Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) program can review and update address lists
In two years … 2020 Census operations start
Six Regional Census Centers will open in April

11. Why Now? The 2020 Census is already underway
Engaging later may be too late
Policy improvements now could pay significant dividends as we move to “get out the count”
Chris Harley

12. Act Now!
Join Leadership Conference Census Task Force (co-chaired by AAJC and NALEO Educational Fund)
Join the “Kitchen Cabinet” to mobilize state groups and networks
Educate key policymakers
Shape the narrative
Engage ethnic media

13. Resources Materials available at www.civilrights.org/census/
Counting for Dollars; analysis of the use of Census-derived data by 16 large federal programs
Hard-to-Count factsheets & interactive map
Citizenship and immigration questions factsheet
Talking Points

14. What You Can Do Join the Census Task Force Join the Kitchen Cabinet
Federal policy and communications updates
Arielle Atherly at
Join the Kitchen Cabinet
Engaging state and local leaders for field mobilization and Get Out The Count efforts
Sergio Lopez at

15. Presenters Contact Info
Chris Harley, Census Campaign Director Census Task Force: Terry Ao Minnis, Kitchen Cabinet for Field & Communications: Sergio Lopez,