Cook County wants to make sure everyone is counted in census

Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, says including the hard-to-count populations in Census 2020 could have repercussions when it comes to federal funds and political representation in Washington.
Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, says including the hard-to-count populations in Census 2020 could have repercussions when it comes to federal funds and political representation in Washington.

Cook County wants to make sure everyone is counted in census

BY TIA CAROL JONES

With the Census count approaching, there is an initiative in Cook County to ensure hard-to-count populations are included.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and the Cook County Board of Commissioners, appointed a commission which includes Marlon Everett, cardiovascular unit at Advocate Trinity Hospital; Patrice E. Ford, executive director of the Steans Family Foundation; and Barbara Lumpkin, interim president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League. The goal of the commission is to encourage participation and increase awareness of the 2020 Census.

Preckwinkle said hard-to-count communities are mostly African-American and Latinx communities in Cook County. She said there are reasons these communities are designated as such. In 2019, President Trump sought to include a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. The Supreme Court ruled against the inclusion of the question.

“People are fearful of being labeled undocumented,” she said. “In the African-American community, there is a suspicion of government. People are worried about being identified.”

Preckwinkle said it was discovered after the 2010 Census that these communities were undercounted. Cook County allocated $2 million to outreach efforts in 2019 and another $2 million is allocated for this year.

“The County hired William Everett Group to help with Census work,” Preckwinkle said. “The County is financially supporting community organizations to do this outreach.”

William Everett Group was founded in 2010 by Ellen Rozelle Turner. It is a management and information technology consulting firm based in Chicago.

Preckwinkle said there are three reasons why it is important for people to participate in the Census. First, it’s part of each person’s civic duty. “Every 10 years since 1797, there has been a Census,” she said.

Another reason is the money Cook County receives from the federal government.

“There’s a lot of money involved. $14,000 throughout the decade to Cook County, per person,” she added.

The last reason she said is political representation. Preckwinkle said it equates to heft in Washington when it comes to seats in the House of Representatives. She added, Illinois may lose one seat.

Preckwinkle said the ability for people to fill out the Census online might not lead to an increase in people participating. She said 25 percent of Cook County’s population doesn’t have broadband access, which might still leave out some residents.

One of the tools used to encourage participation is a brochure that has been distributed. The 20-page brochure is in English and Spanish, and includes messaging and graphics for social media, as well as powerpoint materials. Another tool is the use of community-based organizations to get the word out.

“We want to do everything we can to get people to participate in the Census,” Preckwinkle said.

There are still spaces left for community-based organizations that are interested in participating in Census Outreach.

“The commission is looking at applications and finding the best respondents,” Preckwinkle said. She added the best respondents would include, “those that are serving a community that is underserved and have an effective plan to reach people.”

The deadline for the next round of applications is Monday, Feb. 3. To apply, visit https://bit.ly/2QjhbOs.

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