1 of 4: Census: More Important Than Voting?

By now, it's clear that every person in our country must be counted every ten years in a census, for the purpose of representation and allocation of federal funds. The reach of the census is much wider and deeper than we thought. With something so crucial on the line what are the consequences of the citizenship question controversy and COVID-19?

Historically, the Census has had a substantial undercount for minority groups, reducing funding and representation for millions. Thousands of organizations and advocates across the country have spent several years planning thoughtful and engaging ways to eliminate undercounts and ensure everyone is included. Join us to learn about the innovative strategies towards getting 100% count, including from Hollywood comedian Maz Jobrani, Fair Count in Georgia, and political coalitions in California. After all, a person is a person no matter....

The origins of racism in our country can be traced back to the beginning of the U.S. Census. For centuries, its racial categories established a construct for how we define race. Fortunately, with the advent of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, a shift in how racial data was used began: from division and marginalization to empowerment and protection. Learn more about our imperfect history and the opportunities ahead.

As our country gets more divided, there's one thing that can unite us: The Census. The U.S. Census is powerful. Data collected from the census determines the number of representatives in the House for each state and directs the allocation of almost $1 trillion in federal funding. However, less than two-thirds of Americans mail in their census forms and some groups are undercounted by up to 5%. A complete count can completely change representation in our country, which is why some experts believe being counted is more important than voting. Can a group of experts and advocates get us to agree?

2020 Counts will change how you think of the census. Some of our guests include, Maz Jobrani, actor, comedian and Iranian-American advocateColin MacLay, executive director, Annenberg Innovation Lab, USCArturo Vargas, CEO, NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected Officials) Educational FundSenator Susan Rubio, CA state senator representing District 22 in the San Gabriel ValleySharon Tosi Lacey, Chief Historian, US Census BureauEd Reed, Program Director, Fair CountNatalie Masuoka, Author on Multiracial Identity & Racial Politics and Associate Professor of Political Science, UCLAPaul Ong, Research Professor and Director of Neighborhood Knowledge, UCLATom Belin, Professor of Biostatistics, UCLAMaria Garcia, Director, Census 2020, Mayor's Office of Budget and Innovation, City of Los Angeles