Stacey Abrams and Mitch Landrieu join forces to promote civic engagement amidst a rushed 2020 Census
PRESS ADVISORY
FOR PLANNING PURPOSES
Date: August 24, 2020
Contact:
Ryan Berni
504-417-1933
ryan@unumfund.org
Georgia’s Fair Count founder Stacey Abrams and E Pluribus Unum founder Mitch Landrieu will launch the Census in the South: Road to Recovery virtual bus tour on September 1st to promote a fair and accurate census count in the Southeast. Focusing on areas throughout the Deep South that are both historically and currently undercounted in the census, the tour will tie COVID-19 recovery to the need for census completion through virtual events and large-scale mobilization efforts.
The 2020 Census has been challenged since the beginning. From fear regarding the proposed citizenship question, to massive pandemic interruptions within field operations, to, now, the shortest Nonresponse Followup (NRFU) in modern times, the accuracy of the count is at great risk. This is particularly true in the Deep South, where less civic infrastructure, waning governmental support, and higher COVID-19 infection rates threaten a much needed, accurate outcome. The 202o Census will allocate more than $1.5 trillion annually through more than 300 federal programs that impact the lives of families, and direct the distribution of political power through apportionment and redistricting.
Leaders in civic engagement efforts, Abrams and Landrieu will participate in a thoughtful conversation regarding the 2020 Census, COVID-19 in the Deep South, and the threats to our democracy on Tuesday, September 1. From there, the bus tour will make a series of virtual stops over three weeks in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, galvanizing public officials, faith leaders, and historically marginalized communities around the power of getting counted.
WHO: Members of the press and the general public are invited to attend.
WHAT: Stacey Abrams of Fair Count and Mitch Landrieu of E Pluribus Unum will have a conversation regarding the 2020 Census and COVID-19 recovery in the Deep South that will stream on virtual platforms. The segment will launch the six-state virtual bus tour, Census in the South: Road to Recovery.
WHERE: Members of the press and the general public can register and watch the event HERE.
WHEN: The conversation will air at 7 PM EST/6 PM CST on Wednesday, September 1, 2020.
WHY: Both the resources and the political power allocated by the 2020 Census will be needed as we recover from COVID-19, particularly in the South, as healthcare disparities shine brightly in many of the region’s most historically undercounted communities. Facing unprecedented challenges, the 2020 Census has been cut short, as has the critical Nonresponse Followup operation, putting the fairness and accuracy of the count at great risk.
For more information on Census in the South: Road to Recovery visit: www.censusinthesouth.org.
###
Responding to the census is safe, secure and available in multiple languages. If you have not yet completed the 2020 Census, please visit www.My2020Census.gov to complete it online. If interested in completing the Census by phone, call 1-844-330-8282.
About Fair Count
Founded by Stacey Abrams in 2019, Fair Count is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to partnering with hard-to-count communities to achieve a fair and accurate count of all people in Georgia and the nation in the 2020 Census and to strengthening the pathways to greater civic participation. For more information, please visit www.FairCount.org.
About E Pluribus Unum
Founded by former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu in 2018, E Pluribus Unum (EPU) is an nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to build a more inclusive and equitable South, uprooting the barriers that have long divided the country by race and class. Incubated at Emerson Collective, EPU’s focus is on cultivating and empowering courageous leaders who are focused on racial equity, changing the divisive narratives that perpetuate systemic and interpersonal racism, and championing transformative policy change. To learn more, visit www.unumfund.org.