The NAACP has designated March 14 as Census Sunday. The NAACP is urging all Pastors to highlight the importance of everyone mailing back the Census forms they have received in the mail.

Over 600 billion dollars are distributed on the basis of the Census numbers and the traditional undercount in the Black community ensures that monies that should go to these areas goes elsewhere. The return rate of mail in forms in some predominantly Black areas is about less than 50%, with 62% in Tampa and Plant City, compared to greater percentage in communities such as Temple Terrace - 68% and Oldsmar 71% in the CENSUS 2000. In April the Census workers will try to go door to door to get the persons who did not respond but that is difficult and persons are missed.

Our goal for CENSUS 2010 is 100%, yet we recognize the difficulty that presents for us; therefore we have targeted 80+%. We need:

Headstart - for toddlers

Inner city schools - for our K-12 graders

Transportation and road repairs - in our community

Homes - for low income families and homeless

Food/Grocery - for those that are hungry

Healthcare - affordable, accessible and available care

Tuition and scholarship - for minority and low income students and HBCUs (4 in Florida)

Employment opportunities - for teens, young adults, and parents

Additional funding for our churches - faith based initiatives

and more.

In addition to the allocation of Federal dollars the numbers are used to draw voting districts. Be sure and count everyone in your household as they are not likely to be counted elsewhere. For the Black vote to have the greatest influence and impact in our communities, all persons of African descent need to check the box:

African American/Black/Negro.

This is new and the attempt is to do two things: 1) Be inclusive and 2) avoid all of African descent from checking "others". When "others" is checked, we LOSE.

We urge every Pastor to bring this important issue to the attention of your Congregation. Let me know if your church needs assistance. Call Hillsborough County NAACP at 813.234.8683 or go to the national web site or the local as noted above (NAACP web site www.NAACP.org)