PRESS ADVISORY: Facing a significant undercount, South Carolina leaders to come together to raise awareness about the 2020 Census before deadline
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR PLANNING PURPOSES
September 16, 2020
Media Contacts:
Rebecca DeHart, 404-376-3495, Rebecca@FairCount.org
Ryan Berni, 504-417-1933, Ryan@unumfund.org
On Thursday, September 17, Stacey Abrams’ Fair Count and Mitch Landrieu’s E Pluribus Unum are making a virtual ‘bus stop’ in South Carolina as part of their joint initiative, Census in the South: Road to Recovery. The streaming panel discussion, “GPS: Mapping Out the Road to Recovery for the Next Generation,” will focus on the dire repercussions of a census that undercounts youth—particularly as the generation navigates shuttered schools, distance learning, COVID-19, and racial disparities in healthcare and government at large.
This virtual bus tour is traveling across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina in an effort to raise awareness about the 2020 Census and how ensuring a fair and accurate count is the first, critical step in recovering from the global pandemic.
Who: Members of the press and the general public are invited.
What: The event will feature a streaming panel of speakers including:
- Dr. Kaari-Claudia Allen, MD- Moderator, Columbia
- Representative JA Moore, House District 15, Charleston
- Councilwoman Shaterica Neal, City of Gray Court
- Taylor Wright, Special Asst. to Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin
- Terin Tyson, Orangeburg, Claflin University Student
- Wilhemina Hunter, South Carolina High School Student
Together, the panelists will discuss the need for a fair and accurate count in the 2020 Census and make clear how the count will affect a younger generation for the decade to come. The event is a “stop” during the three-week virtual bus tour, Census In the South: Road to Recovery.
When: Thursday, September 17th, at 7 pm ET/6 pm CT.
Where: Register HERE to RSVP and to receive email reminders about the event and instructions for how to log-on.
Why: The shortening of the already challenged 2020 Census, in tandem with the COVID-19 global pandemic, has placed our very democracy in a precarious state. As of September 14, the national response rate is 91.8%, but South Carolina trails the average at 86.1% complete. Historically, the regions featured at this bus stop have been undercounted. The 2020 Census will direct more than $1.5 trillion through more than 300 programs for the next decade and divvy up political power through reapportionment and redistricting.
For more information on Census in the South: Road to Recovery, visit: www.censusinthesouth.org.