If you’ve ever wondered if taking the Census is important, it really is.
It tells us what helps our communities determine where to build everything from schools to hospitals and how much government funding it will take to make that happen. It sheds light on how racial groups are being treated by their communities as well.
Black Futures Lab recently launched the Black Census Project 2022, which will specifically focus on collecting information about Black people so issues that directly affect will be rectified. According to a news release, the organization is anticipating 200,000 responses from across all 50 states by June, this effort will become the largest survey of Black people conducted in the United States in 157 years, six times the size of the 2018 Black Census. The Black Census will provide the Biden-Harris administration, elected officials, and midterm campaigns irrefutable insights to address the needs of Black communities.
“If you want to take a pulse on what is happening with the country at large, listen and be responsive to Black communities,” said Alicia Garza, principal and founder of the Black Futures Lab, who began designing the Black Census Project after the 2016 election in a new release. “Black voters are the backbone of the Democratic party; yet our needs are often neglected and deprioritized by our elected officials. Black people are dissatisfied with how elected officials have shown up for us after we changed the balance of power in Washington. If our communities are not experiencing concrete action and tangible change, we risk staying home and not participating at all. In an election season that will determine the direction of the country, we are reminding the entire political apparatus that engaging Black communities early and often is a winning strategy – the Black Census is key to that.”
Black Futures Lab said they will use the findings to shape a robust public policy agenda focused on the lives of Black people, with an anticipated release of an updated Black Agenda by August 2022.
“We are our best messengers on what we want, experience, and need,” said Garza “The Black Census is historic and important—join us and participate so that your voice can be heard, your experience seen, and your needs counted.”