We are officially less than 21 days away from the 2020 Census deadline unless the deadline changes AGAIN of course! What do I mean?
The U.S. Census Bureau is making one last effort to get you to take the census by sending additional paper questionnaires to 16.2 million homes that haven’t responded, primarily in low-responding areas, along with Census officials going door to door.
On August 3, Census Bureau Director Steve Dillingham announced to cut the Census deadline and end field data collection by September 30, 2020 instead of the October 31, 2020 deadline. This change will most definitely lead to a flawed count, thus dramatically
hurting Black and Brown communities for the next 10 years. Without a proper count, there is no fair distribution of government money and political power to the communities that need it most. In this midst of a pandemic and clear abuse of wealth and power in Americ a, it is more important than ever to get the count right.
Fortunately, the National Urban League, with the help and support of nearly 900 national, state, and community groups, filed an emergency request forcing the Trump administration to reinstate the original October 31st deadline. On September 17th, a hearing will be held to determine the final whether the date will be changed back or stay the same.
Four out of ten people that have not filled out the Census say they wouldn’t answer the door for a Census worker. If that’s you, no worries. Self-response options are still available online (my2020Census.gov), by phone (1-800-923-8282), or by mail. Florida was undercounted in both 2000 and 2010. As the saying goes, pray for the best but prepare for the worst. Don’t sit on the sideline and be a silent witness. Do something more than what you’ve done before. If you haven’t completed your census, don’t put it off any longer. If you have, encourage others to complete their census. Get counted.