National

Black Leaders Push for Fair 2020 Census Count

WASHINGTON INFORMER — Leaders of numerous African American organizations recently convened in the District to deal with the upcoming 2020 census that could affect available resources and the political representation of Blacks in the century’s third decade.

Published

7 years ago

June 23, 2019

James Wright

By James Wright

Leaders of numerous African American organizations recently convened in the District to deal with the upcoming 2020 census that could affect available resources and the political representation of Blacks in the century’s third decade.

Melanie Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) and the convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable, had the leaders and representatives of key African American and civil rights organizations meet on June 18 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill to talk about the 2020 Census and its importance to Blacks.

“The 2020 Decennial Census will be the most critical census count of our lifetime,” Campbell said. “In 2010, African Americans and Black immigrants were under-counted by more than 800,000, leaving our communities with a shortage of government resources. We cannot let this happen again.

“Further, the 2020 presidential election is also taking place next year,” she said. “For that reason, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and our Unity Diaspora partners are strategizing, organizing and mobilizing to make sure our people be fully counted and vote to build power for the next generation. Our future depends on it.”

Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution requires the federal government to conduct a count of all within the borders of the United States every 10 years, with the year ending in a “0”. The data collected from the census count will be used to decide how many representatives will serve individual states in the U.S. House of Representatives. Plus, non-states such as the District and U.S. territories and possessions base their legislative bodies on those numbers.

Business and nonprofit organizations use census data to determine whether to expand or decrease operations and services. In addition, billions of federal dollars are allocated based on census data.

Leaders and representatives of organizations such as National Urban League, the National Action Network, the NAACP and the National Council of Negro Women participated in the summit, themed “Be Counted to Build Power for the Next Generation.”

Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said prisoner gerrymandering, the practice of counting offenders where they are serving time instead of their hometown, and a dubious citizenship question are tools being used by those who don’t want people of color to be counted properly.

“There are two million incarcerated Americans and many of them are African American,” Clay said. “We want them to be counted as residents of their home, not the institution they are serving time in.”

Clay has a bill, Correct the Census Count Act of 2019, that would remedy that situation.
On the citizenship question that could appear on census forms that the U.S. Commerce Department leaders requested the Supreme Court to rule on based on validity, Clay called it “idiotic.”

“The purpose of the citizenship question is to disenfranchise and intimidate non-White Americans by having people answer this question,” he said.

Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, said Black communities need to be prepared for the census “in light of so many Black children were missing in the 2010 census.”

“We will hold nationwide town hall meetings in the fall and the spring to inform people about the importance of the census,” he said.

South Carolina Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Orangeburg), president of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, stressed that state officials draw congressional and in-state legislative districts based on census data.

“We want to make sure all communities are represented,” she said. “In the process of doing that, we will need to have hard conversations about the makeup of our districts.”

Cobb-Hunter also railed against “packing,” the practice of putting Blacks in one district that produces neighboring predominantly White —and, in many cases, conservative Republican — districts. She said putting some Blacks in a neighboring White district could produce a White Democrat who would be more sensitive to African American concerns.

Cobb-Hunter said many states such as South Carolina and Mississippi have large numbers of Blacks in state legislatures who have little power because they are outnumbered by White Republicans.

Tamika Mallory, co-chair of the Women’s March, said Black leaders need to talk in plain language to African Americans about filling out census forms.

“Sometimes we as Black leaders become elitist and use big words to explain things,” Mallory said. “Black people need someone they can relate to explaining why the census is important.”

This article originally appeared in the Washington Informer.

James Wright

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Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

5 days ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

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2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Assemblymember Lori Wilson — Advocate for Equity, the Environment, and More

Her rise has also included several historic firsts: she is the only Black woman ever appointed to lead the influential Assembly Transportation Committee, and the first freshman legislator elected Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. She has also been a vocal advocate for vulnerable communities, becoming the first California legislator to publicly discuss being the parent of a transgender child — an act of visibility that has helped advanced representation at a time when political tensions related to social issues and culture have intensified.

Published

1 week ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City). File photo.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) joined the California Legislature in 2022 after making history as Solano County’s first Black female mayor, bringing with her a track record of fiscal discipline, community investment, and inclusive leadership.

She represents the state’s 11th Assembly District, which spans Solano County and portions of Contra Costa and Sacramento Counties.

California Black Media spoke with Wilson about her successes and disappointments this year and her outlook for 2026.

What stands out as your most important achievement this year?

Getting SB 237 passed in the Assembly. I had the opportunity to co-lead a diverse workgroup of colleagues, spanning a wide range of ideological perspectives on environmental issues.

How did your leadership contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians this year?

The Black Caucus concentrated on the Road to Repair package and prioritized passing a crucial bill that remained incomplete during my time as chair, which establishes a process for identifying descendants of enslaved people for benefit eligibility.

What frustrated you the most this year?

The lack of progress made on getting Prop 4 funds allocated to socially disadvantaged farmers. This delay has real consequences. These farmers have been waiting for essential support that was promised. Watching the process stall, despite the clear need and clear intent of the voters, has been deeply frustrating and reinforces how much work remains to make our systems more responsive and equitable.

What inspired you the most this year?

The resilience of Californians persists despite the unprecedented attacks from the federal government. Watching people stay engaged, hopeful, and determined reminded me why this work matters and why we must continue to protect the rights of every community in our state.

What is one lesson you learned this year that will inform your decision-making next year?

As a legislator, I have the authority to demand answers to my questions — and accept nothing less. That clarity has strengthened my approach to oversight and accountability.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians are facing currently?

Affordability and access to quality educational opportunities.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2026?

Advance my legislative agenda despite a complex budget environment. The needs across our communities are real, and even in a tight fiscal year, I’m committed to moving forward policies that strengthen safety, expand opportunity, and improve quality of life for the people I represent.

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2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, Champion of Reparations, Housing and Workers’ Rights

In 2025, McKinnor pushed forward legislation on renters’ protections, re-entry programs, reparations legislation, and efforts to support Inglewood Unified School District. She spoke with California Black Media about the past year and her work. Here are her responses.

Published

1 week ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood). File photo.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr., California Black Media

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) represents

California’s 61st Assembly District.

As a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC),

McKinnor was elected in 2022. She chairs the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation and leads the Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee. McKinnor also served as a civic engagement director, managed political campaigns, and worked as chief of staff for former Assemblymembers Steven Bradford and Autumn Burke.

Looking back on 2025, what do you see as your biggest win?

Assembly Bill (AB) 628. If rent is $3,000, people should at least have a stove and a refrigerator. It’s ridiculous that people were renting without basic appliances.

I’m also proud that I was able to secure $8.4 million in the state budget for people coming home from incarceration. That includes the Homecoming Project, the menopause program for incarcerated women, and the Justice Leaders Program.

How did your leadership help make life better for Black Californians this year?

After the Eaton Fire, I pushed to get the same kind of support for affected areas that wealthier regions get after disasters.

I also did a lot of work building political power— establishing the Black Legacy PAC and California for All of Us PAC so we could support Black candidates and educate voters. We also called voters to make sure they understood Prop 50.

People need to understand this: there are only 12 Black legislators in the Capitol. Folks act like we can just walk in and pass reparations, but that’s not how it works.

What frustrated you most this year?

The governor did not have the political will to sign these bills: AB 57 and AB 62. They both passed overwhelmingly in the Assembly and the Senate. We did the work. The only person who didn’t have the political will to sign them was the governor.

The public needs to ask the governor why he didn’t sign the bills. We can’t keep letting people off the hook. He has to answer.

I also introduced AB 51 — the bill to eliminate interest payments on Inglewood Unified School District’s long-standing state loan — held in the Appropriations Committee. That was frustrating,

What inspired you most in 2025?

The civil rights trip to Alabama was life changing. We visited the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. We took members of the Black, Latino, Jewish, and API caucuses with us. It changed all of us.

People aren’t always against us — they just don’t know our history.

What’s one lesson from 2025 that will shape how you approach decisions next year?

The legislative trip to Norway taught me that collaboration matters. Government, labor, and industry sit down together there. They don’t make villains. Everybody doesn’t get everything they want, but they solve problems.

What’s the biggest challenge facing Black Californians in one word?

Inequity. It shows up in housing, wealth, stress – all these things.

What’s the number one goal you want to accomplish in 2026?

Bringing back AB 57 and AB 62, and securing money for the Inglewood Unified loan interest forgiveness.