Obama Administration addressing Census racial disparities, amid criticisms

Ryan Clark

December 15, 2009

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will meet with black political and civil rights leaders on Dec. 16 to discuss the alleged historic undercounting of African-Americans by the U.S. Census.

The event occurs on the heels of recent criticisms by black leaders, most notably Rev. Jesse Jackson , of the perceived lack of attention Obama's administration has shown the African-American community - a key constituency of the President hit especially hard by the recession.

The meeting will outline the department's plans for addressing black misrepresentation by the Census as well as issues surrounding jobs, resources and outreach in the black community. Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., as well as black leaders Rev. Al Sharpton; Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League; Ben Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP; and Calvin Smyre, chairman of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators will be in attendance.

According to the National Urban League, the Census' historical undercounting of the black community has negatively affected the level of allocated resources as well as political representation. In addition to a discussion of the administration's efforts, black leaders will share their plans for outreach to ensure full 2010 representation, particularly in hard to count areas.

Census results affect how federal dollars are distributed across the country for services and facilities like hospitals, job training and public works projects. Results also determine the number of seats each state receives in the U.S. House of Representatives.