New Press Advisory ColorOfChange.org/census

For Immediate Release July 21, 2010

Contacts:

Kamau Franklin, (917) 535-3041, kamauadeabiodun@yahoo.com

Matt Nelson, (414) 721-6630, matt@colorofchange.org

ColorOfChange.org Answers Black Census Undercount, with Cash

In less than two weeks, the nations largest domestic activity, the US Census, will stop counting people. To help promote a fair and accurate count of Black Americans and areas subject to an undercount, ColorofChange.org is conducting a campaign focused on providing incentives to those who haven’t registered with the Census to do so by phone. The “Claim the Money” campaign provides a cash sweepstakes for those calling into the Census to provide their information, and a competition for those who help recruit callers.

In Atlanta, ColorOfChange.org will have a traveling ice cream and fruit truck to amplify the effort and will kick off the campaign with a press event. “Black people have historically been undercounted in the Census and we wanted to find innovative ways to change that,” said James Rucker, Director, ColorOfChange.org.

“Our ‘Claim The Money’ sweepstakes gives an extra incentive to get counted for the ‘hard-to-count’ and a chance to win hard cash.” ColorOfChange.org seeks to increase the count of the black community in the 2010 US Census by conducting a sweepstakes whereby people who haven’t yet registered with the census can call a toll free number and who are then transferred to a live census representative. Sweepstakes participants will have a chance to win $2,010.00.

WHO: ColorOfChange.org members, volunteers, and supporters. Local community members residing in undercounted census tracts.

WHAT/WHEN: Press conference and ice cream/fresh fruit truck ride-a-long, Thursday, July 22, 3:30pm.

WHERE: Atlanta Harm Reduction Center, 472 Paines Avenue, Atlanta, GA.

Visuals

– “ClaimTheMoney.org” supporters holding posters, distributing handbills and talking with neighbors.

– “Claim The Money” ice cream truck w/fresh fruit.

Attachments

– Sound files of the “Claim The Money” PSAs that ran in major Atlanta radio markets.

Immediately following the press conference, ColorOfChange.org members, volunteers, and supporters will drive an ice cream truck (filled with ice cream and fresh fruit) into an undercounted census tract talking with neighbors about the last chance to be counted and the opportunity to enter the “Claim the Money” Sweepstakes. While census workers are no longer going door-to-door, those who’ve gone uncounted can still call the Census and provide their information if they call by July 30th.

With more than 600,000 members, ColorOfChange.org is the largest African-American online political organization in the country.