Dear Black Kentuckians: Stand Up and Be Counted . . . on the 2020 Census
by Dr. Algernon Austin, Senior Researcher, Thurgood Marshall Institute
Black Kentuckians could lose out on their fair share of federal funding and political representation if there continues to be a 2020 Census undercount of their communities. As of late August, Kentucky is ranked 20th among the states in terms of the share of its population that has completed the 2020 Census. Only 66.9 percent of Kentucky households have completed the Census.
Spend a few minutes and complete the Census right now at my2020census.gov or 844–330–2020.
As the table illustrates, several of the Kentucky counties where African Americans comprise a larger share of the population than their state-wide percentage have low 2020 Census completion rates. For example, Christian, Fulton, and Warren counties (three additional counties meeting these criteria are not shown) have rates below the state-wide average. While the rates in other counties are higher, they are still far away from 100 percent.
September 30 is the deadline for completing the Census.* It is still possible for Kentuckians to spend a few minutes and complete the Census right now at my2020census.gov or 844–330–2020. The more Kentuckians fill out the Census, the more resources there will be for Kentucky communities.
*The closing date for submission of Census surveys is under court review.
