ALL LATINOS, AFRICAN AMERICANS COUNT: PREPARING FOR CENSUS 2010

By Wade Henderson and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF)

With less than a year to go before the 2010 Census, our message to all Mississippians is singular: you can help  make sure that this once-in-a-decade population count is as accurate as possible.

Census data are the basis for determining how $400 billion in federal funds is annually distributed to our state and local governments. In 2007, Mississippi was listed by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis as having the lowest per-capita income in the country, $26,535, and a recent study report by the Mississippi Economic Policy Center shows that 40% of the state’s working families live in poverty. 

Federal money distributed on the basis of the Census count is used for schools and road systems, for health care for low-income children, for veterans’ services and senior nutrition programs, and public services that benefit our state and our communities.

We need to make sure that the Census Bureau gets this count right.

Some populations are more at risk of not getting counted than others.  African Americans and Latinos were missed at a higher rate than other racial and ethnic groups during the 2000 census – leaving their communities with fewer resources.  This is just not fair.

When the census is off by even a small percentage it can deprive our communities of millions of dollars in much needed federal aid for hospitals, schools, roads, disaster preparedness and other public services.

With our current economic climate – Mississippi communities will need this funding more than ever. We must all work together – religious and community organizations, legislators and ordinary citizens – to make sure that we have an inclusive, objective and accurate census.  It’s not only good for our nation now – it’s good for ordinary Mississippians for 10 years from now. 

For more information, please visit www.census.gov.