In The Nation, The Leadership Conference Says ‘Make Your Voice Heard’ on 2020 Census

WASHINGTON – In an opinion piece published by The Nation, Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, underscores the importance of submitting a public comment to censuscounts.org to urge the removal of the citizenship question from the 2020 Census form. Gupta stresses the importance of a fair and accurate census and how the untested question will have a negative impact on communities that are already hard-to-count.

“Do you want to preserve the integrity of the count? Make your voice heard,” Gupta wrote. “Do you want to ensure your neighborhood schools, hospitals, and parks are fully funded? Make your voice heard. Are you tired of the administration scapegoating immigrants and refugees? Make your voice heard.”

The census is required by the Constitution and its accuracy is critically important for all people in the United States. A fair and accurate census – and the collection of useful, objective data about our nation’s people, housing, economy, and communities generally – is among the most important civil rights issues of our day.

On the citizenship question, Gupta writes, “This misguided decision will affect everyone, with communities that are already at risk of being undercounted — including people of color, young children, and low-income rural and urban residents — suffering the most.”

The full opinion piece can be found here.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.