The following are excerpts from a presentation by Dr. Jerome Reide, regional field organizer of the NAACP. This presentation was given at the annual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rosa Celebration on Jan. 18, 2010 that was held at the Metropolitan Baptist Church, 1345 W. Burleigh St.
The NAACP wants to thank you for participating in the national mobilization to make King day count on January 18th together we will elevate the 2010 Census in African Americans’ minds and let the best of America know that “Yes We Count!”
Please tell me if any of these facts sound like communities here in Milwaukee.
- Higher rate of vacant houses?
- Higher rate of multi-family housing units?
- More tenants or renter occupied units?
- Units in neighborhood tend to be more “crowded”?
- Higher percent of single parent families?
- Areas with fewer land line phones?
- Lower high school graduation rates?
- Larger number of people live below poverty?
- More people receiving public assistance?
- Unemployment rates are higher?
- People moving in and out?
These factors make Milwaukee a “Hard to Count,” city. ‘Yes We Count’, is our national initiative to achieve a full African American count in the 2010 Census. The ‘Yes We Count! Campaign is the largest and most comprehensive non-partisan effort to incorporate African Americans as full participants in the American Census process. The campaign will seek to increase the response rate by at least fi ve percent in more than 471 hard to count census tracts.
We must overcome great challenges if we are to provide the next generation with the best healthcare, education, job opportunities, justice system, and places to live. This requires action at every level of the government, from fixing and funding healthcare to defending civil rights laws, the national mobilization to make King Day count is a way to enlist thousands of African Americans to unite and elevate the importance of a complete census count in 2010.
Census under count in Wisconsin
The failure of the census to accurately count Wisconsin’s population seriously shortchanged the federal funding that Wisconsin ought to have received during the past decade. In effect, Wisconsin was required to utilize funds for schools, roads, health facilities, housing, and other important services for people that were not counted by the census.
Whether every person is counted or not counted, in a community impacts ten years of federal funds, political representation, public infrastructure, and private investment. Sometimes Pastor Patterson and I have problems with people who walk right into us and say they couldn’t see us. I’m not talking about that kind of problem, I’m talking about people who will drive through your neighborhood and can’t see anybody living there. When it comes to federal funds–for 100 people not counted, a community risks losing an estimated $1.2 million over the next decade for federally funded programs including:
- Medicaid and maternal and child health programs
- Transit programs
- Public housing assistance
- Community development block grants
- Head start
- Title I education funds and grants for special and vocational education
Political Representation
Wisconsin will use census numbers to redraw all political boundaries and determine which states gain or lose representation, including:
- Congressional districts
- State Senate districts
- State House districts
- Districts for your city councils, school committees, county boards
Private Investment
Businesses large and small use census numbers to:
- Identify new markets
- Select sites for operations
- Make investment decisions
- Determine the goods and services offered
The Census is a snapshot of your community that defines the challenges and opportunities ahead for the Milwaukee NAACP and the people you serve and engage.
