As the 2020 Census approaches, Black Californians are again at risk of being undercounted. To address this, the California Black Census & Redistricting Hub is mobilizing Black-led and Black-serving organizations across the state through coordinated outreach campaigns.
We invite you to join us on Wednesday, September 11 at 10:30 am for a conversation with Anthony Thigpenn (President, California Calls), Dr. Manuel Pastor (Director, USC PERE), Dr. Kelly Lytle-Hernandez (Director, Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies--invited) and Dr. John Dobard (Director of Political Voice, AP-CA) to learn more about the California Black Census & Redistricting Hub and why philanthropic support is essential to ensuring Black Californians are counted in the 2020 Census.
Background
Since the 1940s, the U.S. Census Bureau has repeatedly undercounted certain populations in the decennial census, including our country’s Black population. As a result, Black communities have been denied an equal voice in their government and shortchanged on federal and state funding.
- California has the 5th largest Black population in the United States with over 3 million African Americans. Nearly half, or roughly 1.4 million Black Californians, belong to a “hard-to-count” population.
- Gentrification has sparked waves of displacement and homelessness across California, disproportionately impacting Black communities, pushing many into the streets or out of urban centers like Oakland and Los Angeles, and into new regions, like East Contra Costa, Inland Empire and Central Valley, which often lack civic infrastructure and resources to support a full Census Count.
- Mass incarceration in Black communities has led to drastic overrepresentation of African Americans in California’s prison population, 29% compared to being only 6.5% of California’s total population.
These factors combined with a growing distrust in government and limited access to the internet, particularly among seniors, require tailored outreach strategies to ensure a full count of Black Californians in the 2020 Census.
RSVP
For questions and to RSVP, please contact Kaci Patterson, kaci@socialgoodsolutions.com, by Friday, September 6.
Target Audience
Current members of NCG, SCG, SDG, and nonmember funders.
