The California Black Census & Redistricting Hub

About

The California Black Census and Redistricting Hub is a network of over 30 Black-led and Black-serving organizations across the state focused on maximizing participation in the upcoming census and redistricting process among hard to count Black communities. Using a mix of training, strategic communications, data, grassroots organizing and community engagement, the Hub will prepare its network of organizations to conduct targeted and tailored field outreach campaigns to educate, motivate and activate the voices of thousands of Black Californians throughout the census and redistricting process.

Why:

Recent surveys have found that African Americans and Black immigrants are among the highest groups at risk of a full and accurate count in California. 

California has the 5th largest Black population in the United States with 3,011,021 African Americans making up 8% of the state total. Gentrification has sparked waves of displacement and homelessness across California, disproportionately impacting Black communities, pushing many into the streets or out of urban centers like Oakland and Los Angeles, and into new regions, like East Contra Costa, Inland Empire and Central Valley, which often lack civic infrastructure and resources to support a full Census Count. Mass incarceration in Black communities has led to drastic overrepresentation of African Americans in California’s prison population, 29% compared to being only 6.5% of California’s total population. This not only makes group counts necessary, but also makes the engagement and education of newly returning community members key, who are more vulnerable to economic and housing and instability and a general lack of information about the Census.  

These factors combined with a growing distrust in government and limited access to the internet, particularly among seniors, require tailored outreach strategies to ensure a full count of Black Californians in the 2020 Census. 

The Hub will also engage in planning and advocacy in the Redistricting Process to ensure the voice and representation of Black Californians is strengthened.

The Black Census and Redistricting Hub is a project of California Calls, and builds off the 3 year African American Civic Engagement Project.

Who:

The Core Partners serve as a steering committee of institutional thought partners helping to guide the Hub’s strategic and operational direction and include California Calls, Advancement Project—California, Black PAC, PICO California, and the African Methodist Episcopal Church – Social Action Commission.

Black Hub Coalition Members are Black-led or Black-serving organizations that will conduct outreach to engage historically undercounted black communities in the census and redistricting process. Coalition Members are recruited based on their reach and influence within their communities as well as their direct work within key historically undercounted Black communities.

Sacramento:
Sacramento ACT, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Sacramento

Bay Area:
Building Blocks for Kids, Safe Return Project, Oakland Rising, RYSE, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Contra Costa, Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA)

Central Valley:
Fathers and Families of San Joaquin, Fresno Metro Black Chamber/Fresno County Complete Count Committee, Central Valley Urban Institute, Fresno Street Saints, African American Network of Kern County, Inc.

San Bernardino and Riverside:
Time for Change, BLU Educational Foundation, Starting Over, Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE)

Los Angeles:
Long Beach Black Infant Health, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Black Women for Wellness, Kingdom Life Church, Los Angeles Community Action Network, A New Way of Life, The Community Action League, Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE), Community Coalition, Los Angeles Black Workers Center, Social Justice Learning Institute, Special Needs Network, AME Church – 5th District.

San Diego:
Pillars of the Community, Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA), Alliance San Diego

Statewide:
California Black Women’s Health Project, Initiate Justice, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, AME Ministerial Alliance.

Get Involved

Check below to learn more about the California Black Census & Redistricting Hub and how you can get involved:

If you’re an organization interested in joining the Hub:

Kevin Cosney (kcosney@calicalls.org)

If you’re an elected official or other civic leader interested in supporting the Hub:

Kaci Patterson (kaci@socialgoodsolutions.com)

For communications or media inquiries: 

Lanae Norwood at press@myBlackCounts.org