The Church has always been a vessel to spread the good word, a body of strength and a vehicle of change for the Black community. Now, more than ever, we need all of our faith based leaders to join us to ensure everyone is counted.

Historically, the Census has been used as a tool of white supremacy, and has denied political representation, public resources and recognition of dignity to Black folks. From the beginning of America’s “democracy” during the Census, our very humanity was ignored and we were counted as only ⅗ of a person. Take action and complete the census now!

Our communities have been consistently undercounted, under-resourced and underrepresented. In the 2010 Census, Black folks were undercounted by 3.7 MILLION people.

The census’ impact on our communities is profound. It shapes everything! There is $115 billion per year in public resources at stake for California. Also, our political power is at risk in a time when we need our vote to count more than ever. An accurate count is the difference between us having fair political representation in Congress, how many votes California gets in the Presidential election and if we have access to high quality hospitals, schools, fire departments and highways.

Once every ten years, we have an opportunity to reclaim the census as a tool for dignity, justice, and equity. When you count yourself by completing the Census, you are supporting your loved ones, your church family and your community.

We must work together to make sure that everyone in our community is represented so we all get the resources we deserve. Help us claim our reasonable portion.