Atlanta, GA– Thursday, March 12 was the first day people living in America received their invitations to participate in the 2020 Census. Fair Count CEO, Rebecca DeHart, Vice President Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean and Program Director Ed Reed of Fair Count stressed the importance of the census in allocating power and resources across Georgia and the nation.
“Today, people will begin receiving invitations to participate in the census and the need for accurate information is imperative,” said Fair Count CEO Rebecca DeHart. “A lot is at stake and we only get once every ten years to get it right. Inaccurate results would be devastating for many communities.”
For every person that is not counted in the census, Georgia loses more than $3,600 per year in federal resources The 2020 Census will determine the distribution of federal resources for schools, roads, hospitals and other vital needs for communities.
Vice President Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean said, “We want to make sure that everyone living in Georgia knows that the 2020 Census will impact every part of their lives for the next ten years. Whether it’s roads without potholes, access to medical care, a new grocery store in your neighborhood, or fully-resourced schools—only a fair and accurate count will bring the resources our communities deserve.”
Fair Count has taken several steps to get a more accurate count in Georgia. In addition to founding Black Men Count, a statewide complete count committee dedicated to achieving a fair and accurate count of Black men, Fair Count is also finishing up placing 150 Internet installations in parts of the state that are at risk of being undercounted so as to help facilitate greater online census participation.
Program Director Ed Reed said, “It ends up becoming a cycle that is hard to break because access leads to resources and more resources lead to better opportunities. And right now you have pockets of Georgia without access or resources because they did not get counted. We are trying to level the playing field and break that cycle– and we believe it starts with the 2020 Census.”
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