For Immediate Release
July 31, 2020
COLOR OF CHANGE: We Reject Trump’s Attempts to Erase Black Communities and Communities of Color
Jennifer Edwards, Senior Director of Digital Engagement and Democracy for Color Of Change, issued this statement following reports of census door knocking to be cut a month short:
“A fair and accurate 2020 Census is crucial for protecting Black lives for the next ten years and beyond. Trump’s attempt to force the Census Bureau to rush critical follow-up operations and potentially shorten the self-response period necessitated by COVID-19 is yet another racist attack on Black communities and other communities of color. On the heels of Trump’s recent memo attempting to limit undocumented individuals from being counted, this is clearly an effort to cheat communities of color, who are often undercounted, out of the resources and representation we deserve. While most of the country is attempting a more honest reckoning with our nation’s legacy of racism, Trump and his administration are focused on consolidating and preserving their power to shamelessly impose a white nationalist agenda. Especially coming just a day after he casually threatened the integrity of our elections, this additional attack on our democracy cannot be tolerated.
“We will not stand by while the Trump administration brazenly attempts to erase Black communities and other communities of color. We demand that all members of Congress use every tool at their disposal to stop these attacks on their own constituents’ right to be seen, counted, and cared for in this society. Color Of Change remains committed to a complete and accurate count in the census and will fight tooth and nail to prevent a Black undercount with our national OurCount campaign. The census is one of the ways that we protect our individual and collective well-being, and we all must respond to the 2020 Census as soon as possible in order to strengthen our communities for the next decade and beyond, well after Trump and his racist attempts to subvert our census are gone.”
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About Color Of Change:
Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by millions of members, we move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org