Black Women's Expo Partners with Illinois Census 2020 and Counting on Chicago Coalition to present #WEMATTER Virtual Webinar

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle to discuss importance of 2020 Census
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle

Black Women's Expo Partners with Illinois Census 2020

and Counting on Chicago Coalition

to present #WEMATTER Virtual Webinar

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle to discuss importance of 2020 Census

(CHICAGO) – Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will headline a panel discussion entitled #WeMatter! The Importance of the 2020 Census as part of the Black Women's Expo (BWe) partnership with Illinois Census 2020 and Counting on Chicago Coalition. The session, presented by Habilitative Systems Inc., takes place on Saturday, July 11, 2020, from 3:00 pm CT – 4:00 pm CT. This session will last for 45-minutes with a 15-minute Q&A.

Participation in the 2020 Census currently stands at 61.5%, and the state of Illinois’ response rate is 66.7%. The lowest response rates in the county are in historically Black and Latinx neighborhoods, where response rates are under 40%. Completing the census directly impacts all Illinois residents, and in Cook County $1400 in revenues in lost per person, a startling loss of over $14,000 over the next decade. Funds that contribute to health, safety, emergency preparedness and determine legislative representation in Congress.

With just a month to go before census canvassers take to the streets Cook County is encouraging all residents to self-respond on-line, via phone at 844-330-2020 or by mail. Canvassers are trained to observe COVID-19 precautions regarding wearing masks and social distancing.

WEMATTER On the Frontline: A Black Women's Agenda! Virtual Webinar is a day-long virtual event will consist of five (5) webinars headlined by a panel of powerful Black women and men, addressing the equity that is absent for African Americans in the areas of physical/mental health, criminal justice, faith, business/entrepreneurship, education, politics, social justice and corporate diversity, inclusion and equality.

"As an entity that annually focuses on all aspects of the Black woman through the largestexposition of its kind in the country, it made perfect sense for BWe to be a hosting partner of the #WEMATTER webinar," said Merry Green, founder of the Black Women's Expo. "Both the topics and panelists are powerful which set the stage for inspiring, solution-driven dialogue." The panel discussions are as follows:

Part 1: The Black Church

The Black church has been central in helping redeem the soul of America. It continues today to play that role. If we’re going to have a society where every American regardless of race, gender, sexuality, country of origin, economic status, etc. is guaranteed certain freedoms of our constitution, the black church has to be the source to redeem the soul of America,” as expressed by Rev. Dr. Delman Coates, Senior Pastor of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, MD. In our communities, the Black Church is the place where mobilization begins, where you will find all segments of the Black community and, therefore, we must be counted!

Part 2: Health Disparities & Mental Health

The panelist will shed light on the health disparities in the African American community, i.e., Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Diabetes, and Mental Health, just to name a few. The discussion will also bring attention of acquiring the necessary economic resources so, the African American community can have access to proper healthcare and treatment.

Part 3: #WeMatter! The Importance of the 2020 Census

So much is at stake if we do not secure an accurate count of Illinois residents through the 2020 Census, i.e., dollars would be lost in federal programs and our representation in Congress will be drastically affected, for starters. A dynamic panel of experts on the subject will drill down to what is needed to get the “hard to count” minorities to take action.

Part 4: Small Business and Entrepreneurship

As has been reported, Black-owned businesses have been leading the charge with the number of businesses that startup annually. Those businesses and entrepreneurs are now in dire straits as we navigate these unprecedented times with the arrival of COVID-19. While loans and grants are available for small business relief, we continually find ourselves at the end of the receiving line. We will tackle those realities and solutions post-coronavirus during this panel discussion.

Part 5: Criminal Justice, Social Justice and Youth

The treatment of African Americans in our criminal justice system is unfair and criminal, at best. In the midst of the George Floyd tragedy, national surveys continually show the difference between how Blacks and Whites fare in the system that is supposed to protect us all. Powerhouse speakers who are on the frontline of this issue will discuss where we are in this matter affecting so many African Americans in this country.

For more information and updates on the #WEMATTER webinar, visit www.BWeNext.com. To arrange media interviews with organizers, send inquiries to Chelsea@CWHITT.biz

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