9.15.20

Contact:

Rebecca DeHart, 404-376-3495, Rebecca@FairCount.org

On September 16, 18, and 20, the Census in the South: Road to Recovery virtual bus tour will make ‘stops’ in Louisiana to support the faith community, Black women, elected officials, and advocates who are working for a fair and accurate count in the 2020 Census. The bus tour is a joint program between Stacey Abrams’ Fair Count and Mitch Landrieu’s E Pluribus Unum. Facing an unprecedented undercount during a global pandemic, the bus tour seeks to boost mobilization around the census, as the deadline for completion is at the end of the month.

Who: Members of the press and the general public are invited.

What: The Census in the South: Road to Recovery virtual bus tour is making three stops in Louisiana to promote a fair and accurate 2020 Census. Each event is curated for particular communities who have both reach and/or who may be representative of an undercount. Days of action will augment the public events as advocates and volunteers mobilize their communities to complete the 2020 Census via phone banks and text banks. The three events are:

• “Sisters for the Census” – a statewide tele-town hall featuring leading Black women in Louisiana discussing  the importance of civic engagement.  
• “Geaux Fill Out Your Census”– an online, streaming panel featuring Fair Count, E Pluribus Unum, the Urban League of Louisiana, and the POWER Coalition having a critical discussion on the impacts of COVID-19 and disaster recovery on the 2020 Census efforts in Louisiana.
• “All Faiths Count” – an online, streaming panel featuring faith leaders discussing civic engagement and COVID-19 recovery.

When and Where:

• Wednesday, September 16, “Sisters for the Census” tele-town hall will be live at 7:00 CT. RSVP HEREfor instructions.
• Friday, September 18, “Geaux Fill Out Your Census” will stream online at 12:00 pm CT. RSVP HERE for viewing instructions.
• Sunday, September 20, “ All Faiths Count” will stream online at 5:00pm CT. RSVP HERE for viewing instructions.

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 13, the national response rate is 91.8%, but Louisiana trails at 84.7%. 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.

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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 a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to build a more just, equitable, and inclusive South, uprooting the barriers that have long divided the region by race and class. Incubated at Emerson Collective, EPU is focused on changing the divisive narratives that perpetuate systemic and interpersonal racism, cultivating and empowering courageous leaders who are advancing racial equity, and championing transformative policy change. To learn more, visit www.unumfund.org.