When his work as chairman of the Complete Count committee for the city of Columbus was over in 2010, David Armstrong consoled himself with a pleasant thought.
“I remember saying to myself, ‘I won’t have to do that again,'” said Armstrong, the city’s chief operating officer. “But here we are.”
Now, 10 years later, Armstrong is still here and will again lead the local committee charged with helping spread the word of the U.S. Census throughout the Columbus area. The Census process, charged with the herculean task of counting every resident in the United States, begins in earnest on Thursday, when the U.S. Census Bureau will mail millions of notices to residential addresses throughout the country, informing residents of how to complete the short Census questionnaire online or by phone, beginning April 1.
The Census Bureau is in the process of hiring thousands of workers, who, beginning on May 1, will visit homes throughout the country to collect Census data from those who have not responded. Additionally, workers will canvass neighborhoods to verify addresses and conduct surveys related to, but not part of, the Census.
The temporary jobs pay $19 to $29 per hour, depending on job duty and location.
With weeks left before the Census data begins to be collected, the main focus is on spreading the word, which is where Armstrong and others in cities throughout the country come in.
“The purposes of the Complete Count committee is to ascertain what needs to be done in getting the word out,” said Armstrong, who will oversee the city’s six-person committee, made up of members selected by city council members. “The biggest part for us is getting the information into the churches, organizations, schools. We’ll meet once, maybe twice a month, to go over where we’ve been and try to determine if there are other groups we should be presenting the information to.”
Armstrong said it’s especially important to get the word out in minority communities, where the participation rate has historically been low.
“Minorities and children are two groups that are traditionally under-counted,” said U.S. Census Regional Coordinator George Grandy, Jr., who has worked for the Census Bureau for 34 years. This year’s Census will be the fourth he has worked on.
As part of the outreach, Grandy attended a 2020 Census rally at Noxubee County High School on Tuesday, joining local officials like State Superintendent of Education Carey Wright, to spread the word about the importance of the Census among the students. During the rally, students were encouraged to tell their parents about the importance of participating.
Noxubee High will host a Census kickoff event on April 1 to help complete the Census questionnaire for those who may not have online access.
Why the Census matters
The data collected through the Census is used to help the federal government, state government and private organizations and businesses make critical decisions over the next 10 years, including how federal funds are distributed, representation on the state and national levels and business/industry development.
In her comments Tuesday, Wright told the students the Census determines how the federal government will distribute $675 billion in federal funds.
“We’ve made a lot of progress in our schools and we should be proud of that,” Wright told the students. “But just think how much more we could do with more funding. That’s why it’s important for you to do your part. Tell your parents. Ask them to contact 10 family members or friends. In the last Census, not everyone was counted. We should all do our part to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Businesses and industries also use Census data as they determine where to locate. However, the data also determines the number of representatives each state will have in Congress, as well as re-districting on city, county and state levels.
“In 2010, Mississippi lost a seat in Congress after the Census,” Wright said. “That emphasizes just how important it is for every person to be counted. We want to make sure we get every dollar and every benefit our state is entitled to receive.”
Reaching minority communities
In each of the previous counts, Grandy said one of the biggest challenges is making sure people in minority communities understand the importance of the Census and participate.
“Minorities tend to be suspicious of the federal government,” Grandy said. “I’ve seen that every time. We fight that battle over again in every Census. Today, in general, people are worried about what happens with their personal information. That seems to be particularly true for minorities as far as the Census goes, even though federal law doesn’t allow the Census Bureau to share private information with anyone.”
Because the Census is taken only once every 10 years, people may be unfamiliar with what it is and how to participate.
That’s particularly true for younger people.
It was a new topic for eighth grader Nataiya Harris, one of 400-plus students who attended the Census event at Noxubee High School Tuesday, and who introduced Wright during the assembly. She was just 3 years old when the 2010 Census was taken.
“I don’t think I’d even heard the word before,” she said. “But now, I see why it’s so important. We need to get the money we deserve.”
Anyone wishing to apply for a job or learn more about the Census, can visit 2020census.gov.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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