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Blacks and the 1980 Census
Spelman Spotlight March 28. 1980 Page?
Stand Up and Be Counted
By John Valentine
Reprinted With Permission From
THE SKANNER Newspaper,
Portland, Oregon, March 28.
1979
Though the year is still 1979, it
is time to start thinking about the
1980 census. It’s time for all
Americans, especially Blacks, to
make 1980 the year to stand up
and be counted. Why, you ask, is
it so important for Blacks to be
correctly counted in the 1980
census? Being counted won’t put
any money in my pocket you may
say, so why should I bother to be
counted?
The truth of the matter is not
only can money be put in your
pocket simply by standing up and ,
being counted in 1980, but a good
deal of money stands to be taken
out of your pocket if you choose
to hide in the closet when the
census taker comes around.
Here are some of the reasons
the 1980 census is so important to
Blacks and other minorities:
(1) The number of people
counted in the census who are.
unemployed or with low incomes
determines whether your com
munity qualifies to receive
federal monies under the Public
Works and Economic Develop
ment Act.
(2) The number of people
unemployed and the number of
adults in families with annual in
come below the low income level
determines how much money
goes to your community under
the Comprehensive Employment
and Training Act (CETA).
(3) The number of people
living in a house or apartment
shows whether or not that
housing unit is overcrowded. The
number of overcrowded housing
units determines how much
money your community will get
under the Housing and Com
munity Development Act. Census
data also show the number of
housing units with no hot water
or incomplete plumbing.
(4) The number of children
five to 17 years of age living in
poor families determines how
much money your county will get
under the Elementary and Secon
dary Education Act.
(5) Population totals are used
in determining how many people
might benefit from the con
struction and modernization of
medical facilities .to be built un
der the National Planning and
Resources Development Act.
These same figures are used to
determine a community’s need
for funds under the Public Health
Services Act;
(6) The number of people 16
years old and over who have
completed less than six years of
schooling determines the amount
of funds allotted to each state un
der the Adult Basic Education
Act.
(7) The number of people over
60 help to determine how much
money your community can get
for senior citizen community cen
ters under the Older Americans
Act. This same act provides funds
for nutrition programs for the
elderly.
(8) If your community needs
legal services, environmental ac
tion, emergency food and
medical services, and all other
facilities provided through com
munity action programs, the
amount of money your com
munity receives for these
programs under the Headstart.
Economic Opportunity, and
Community Partnership Acts is
determined by the number of
public assistance participants,
the number of unemployed, and
the number of related children
under 18 living in families with in
comes below the poverty level.
As you can see, being counted
in the 1980 census means a lot not
only to you, but to your friends.
There are four of us. The rest is none of your business.”
neighbors, and relatives whose
income and government assistan
ce depend on an accurate census
count. The Bureau of Census puts
the 1970 census undercount at 2.5
percent or 5,301.000 people. The
undercount for whites was only
1.9 percent or roughly 3,446.000.
while the undercount for Blacks
was 1,873.000. nearly four times
greater the percentage for
whites.
After having talked with of
ficials in the Bureau of Census, I
am convinced that the reason
Black Americans were not as ac
curately counted as white
Americans is because Blacks did
not make a great effort to be
counted.
~ It’s a fact that many Blacks
a deeply ingrained distrust
f white people, especially white
people with pencils. In most
cases. Blacks’ distrust of census
takers can be attributed to fears
that the information they give out
can be used to affect welfare
assistance. Welfare regulations
no longer force poor families to
split up or pretend to split up in
order to qualify for Aid to
Families with Dependent
Children, so the fear of census in
formation affecting welfare
assistance is unfounded.
Census takers are subject to a
strict code of confidentiality and
there is no need to fear that the
finance company will find out
where you live.
For too long, we have refused
to vote, refused to get involved,
and hidden in the closet when the
census taker came around. It’s
time for every Black American to
say, “I am somebody. I exist. I
will stand up and be counted.”
1980 — An Important
Year for Blacks
The year 1980 will be an vices for our communities. Every
especially important year for household will be requested to fill
Black people in the United . .. , non c
„ r , out the 1980 census form com
itates. In November, we will help , , , , , . mi *
, ’ . . . r pletely and accurately. This will
elect a national administration.. ,. .. .
„ .. .... .... be a highly productive ra-
Earher, in April, we will have an . , . .. ,
. , vestment of the relatively small
opportunity to stand up and be
counted in the National Cen
sus—our first opportunity since
1970.
Population totals from the 1980
census will provide the basis for a
reapportionment of seats in the
U.S. House of Representatives as
well as in state legislatures and
local election districts.
Population and housing figures
from the 1980 census will be used
to allocate billions of dollars an
nually in federal, state and local
program funds for education,
health, recreation, public safety,
economic development and other
programs that can benefit our
families, our neighbors and our
communities.
It is the constitutional right of
everyone of us to be counted in
this important census, to be in
cluded in the statistics that will be
used to determine people’s needs,
and to plan governmental ser-
amount of time required to fill
out the form. The Bureau of the
Census guarantees that your in
formation will be used only for
official statistical purposes. By
law, no other agencies—Internal
Revenue, welfare, police, im
migration, landlord, etc. can
have access to your personal in
formation.
For many years there were
those of us who felt there were
deliberate attempts to un
dercount Black people. This year
let’s ensure that we do everything
to see that this does not happen
again.
For further information call
your nearest U.S. Bureau of the
Census regional office. They will
be able to put you in touch with a
local census community service’s
specialist who will be happy to
arrange a census meeting with
your local chapter.
Were counting on you.
Answer the census.
CENSUS'80
Blacks Have Chance to be Counted
April 1, 1980 will be one of the
most important dates of the 1980s
for the Black community. A pril l
is Census Day.
On this day, we will have our
first opportunity since 1970 to be
counted officially as members of
the United States society. I
strongly encourage every chapter
member to participate fully in the
1980 Census. I urge each chapter
to help educate the Black com
munity on the importance of the
1980 Census.
There is too much at stake for
us to be overlooked or not coun
ted in this census. The
distribution of Federal funds and
political representation is often
based on census data. Census
figures are used to apportion
seats in the U.S. House of
. l, . r.'
Representatives, and-most states
use the same data for redistric
ting their legislatures.
It is important for us to realize
that the Federal government
distributes more than $50 billion
annually based in part on what
the census says about the
population and housing of an
area. Additional billions in state
and local funds are also depen
dent upon census data for proper
distribution.
When our people are missed in
the Census, it means they remain
invisible for a decade, and in
visible people don’t count when it
comes time to distribute our tax
dollars back to local governments
and to gain political represen
tation. We hurt ourselves when
we are not counted. The Black
community will get short
changed if we are not properly
counted.
An accurate count of Black
Americans will mean funds for
jobs, job training, hospitals,
schools, low-cost housing, CETA.
revenue sharing, and many other
services so desperately needed in
our local communities.
The Census Bureau is making a
valiant effort to obtain an ac
curate count of the Black com
munity. However, these efforts
will not be successful unless they
receive cooperation from all of
us.
Signed,
The Ladies of
Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.
(National Headquarters)
