National

Black Leaders Push for Fair 2020 Census Count

WASHINGTON INFORMER — Leaders of numerous African American organizations recently convened in the District to deal with the upcoming 2020 census that could affect available resources and the political representation of Blacks in the century’s third decade.

Published

7 years ago

June 23, 2019

James Wright

By James Wright

Leaders of numerous African American organizations recently convened in the District to deal with the upcoming 2020 census that could affect available resources and the political representation of Blacks in the century’s third decade.

Melanie Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) and the convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable, had the leaders and representatives of key African American and civil rights organizations meet on June 18 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill to talk about the 2020 Census and its importance to Blacks.

“The 2020 Decennial Census will be the most critical census count of our lifetime,” Campbell said. “In 2010, African Americans and Black immigrants were under-counted by more than 800,000, leaving our communities with a shortage of government resources. We cannot let this happen again.

“Further, the 2020 presidential election is also taking place next year,” she said. “For that reason, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and our Unity Diaspora partners are strategizing, organizing and mobilizing to make sure our people be fully counted and vote to build power for the next generation. Our future depends on it.”

Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution requires the federal government to conduct a count of all within the borders of the United States every 10 years, with the year ending in a “0”. The data collected from the census count will be used to decide how many representatives will serve individual states in the U.S. House of Representatives. Plus, non-states such as the District and U.S. territories and possessions base their legislative bodies on those numbers.

Business and nonprofit organizations use census data to determine whether to expand or decrease operations and services. In addition, billions of federal dollars are allocated based on census data.

Leaders and representatives of organizations such as National Urban League, the National Action Network, the NAACP and the National Council of Negro Women participated in the summit, themed “Be Counted to Build Power for the Next Generation.”

Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said prisoner gerrymandering, the practice of counting offenders where they are serving time instead of their hometown, and a dubious citizenship question are tools being used by those who don’t want people of color to be counted properly.

“There are two million incarcerated Americans and many of them are African American,” Clay said. “We want them to be counted as residents of their home, not the institution they are serving time in.”

Clay has a bill, Correct the Census Count Act of 2019, that would remedy that situation.
On the citizenship question that could appear on census forms that the U.S. Commerce Department leaders requested the Supreme Court to rule on based on validity, Clay called it “idiotic.”

“The purpose of the citizenship question is to disenfranchise and intimidate non-White Americans by having people answer this question,” he said.

Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, said Black communities need to be prepared for the census “in light of so many Black children were missing in the 2010 census.”

“We will hold nationwide town hall meetings in the fall and the spring to inform people about the importance of the census,” he said.

South Carolina Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Orangeburg), president of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, stressed that state officials draw congressional and in-state legislative districts based on census data.

“We want to make sure all communities are represented,” she said. “In the process of doing that, we will need to have hard conversations about the makeup of our districts.”

Cobb-Hunter also railed against “packing,” the practice of putting Blacks in one district that produces neighboring predominantly White —and, in many cases, conservative Republican — districts. She said putting some Blacks in a neighboring White district could produce a White Democrat who would be more sensitive to African American concerns.

Cobb-Hunter said many states such as South Carolina and Mississippi have large numbers of Blacks in state legislatures who have little power because they are outnumbered by White Republicans.

Tamika Mallory, co-chair of the Women’s March, said Black leaders need to talk in plain language to African Americans about filling out census forms.

“Sometimes we as Black leaders become elitist and use big words to explain things,” Mallory said. “Black people need someone they can relate to explaining why the census is important.”

This article originally appeared in the Washington Informer.

James Wright

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Activism

Six Months in, Probate Reform Coalition Marks Progress in Protecting Elders From Financial Abuse

Despite the cited obstacles, NPRC has made some promising inroads towards their mission. NPRC has identified that nationwide the Attorneys General must be engaged and encouraged to implement oversight, protection and enforcement of the law; members find support from each other as they advocate for redress via “letters of compassion” sent to judges, nursing facilities and law enforcement agencies and members are instructed on their rights, how to take constructive action to protect those rights through access to resources that allow them to intelligently represent themselves in court.

Published

1 week ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

NPRC member Stewart E. Handte, a former Mineral County, Nevada, Sheriff and 27-year veteran of police work, currently wears an ankle monitor after he was arrested on kidnapping charges for helping his friend, Roger Hilligus, remove Hilligus’ mother, Susan Hilligus, from a nursing facility after finding her bruised and neglected. NPRC has submitted a “Letter of Compassion” for both Handte and Hilligus requesting that charges be dropped. Courtesy photo.

By Tanya Dennis

The National Probate Reform Coalition, a loose-knit national coalition of advocates, victims, and families dedicated to protecting elder rights, especially within the probate court system, was formed by the Post Newspaper Group (PNG) after more than a decade of reporting on the mistreatment of elders and the plunder of their estates.

In response, PNG Publisher Paul Cobb set in motion a series of monthly town halls to address the problem and propose workable solutions, designating it a “year of action.”

At six months, the coalition has attracted families, advocates, and experts across the nation whose strategies have proven effective in their respective states, and who are moving forward collectively with the mission of engaging judicial, legislative, and enforcement agencies to ensure elders are not exploited or abused.

“The issue of elder abuse is multi-layered”, says NPRC planning committee member Venus Gist. “Elders are our most vulnerable population, next to children, and they are easily exploited by strangers, their own family members, and the judicial system designed to protect them.”

Since January, NPRC has, via monthly virtual meetings held on the first Thursday of each month, clearly defined the issues and formulated workable solutions that can be implemented nationwide.

“There are amazing laws on the books that protect elders and their assets,” said NPRC member Zakiya Jendayi. “The problem is they are ignored, and that lack of oversight has led to systemic abuse in the Probate Court system, not just in Alameda County, but nationwide.

“The scary part is the collusion and wall of silence NPRC has encountered when reaching out to the Judicial Council, legislators, and the State Bar for assistance. It’s so obvious that one hand is washing the other, that they’re protecting each other, that it’s difficult to initiate any type of meaningful reform much less dialogue.”

Stacy Drake, a Texas member, says, “I’ve been looking for help for over 10 years with my situation, and I finally found it within the NPRC coalition. God answered my prayers.”

Broadening its reach within Alameda County, NPRC has invited Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee to assist with outreach, education, and resolution.

“We hope to host an elder abuse/elder protection symposium annually, if not twice a year, to let our elders know that Alameda County and the City of Oakland are a safe place, a place where in their golden years they have no worries regarding exploitation and abuse,” said Cobb. “Society is defined by how the care for its children and elders.”

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Bay Area

UC Berkeley Named Top Public University in the U.S. and No. 7 in the World by ‘U.S. News’

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014. “A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

Published

1 week ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Keegan Houser/UC Berkeley.

The 2026 Best Global Universities rankings evaluated 2,250 research institutions from more than 100 countries

By Lila Thulin

U.S. News & World Report has ranked UC Berkeley No. 7 in its 2026 list of the best global universities, which assesses more than 2,250 research institutions worldwide.

Berkeley also claimed the honor of top public university in the U.S.

Released on Monday, the list evaluates universities from more than 100 countries on 13 metrics such as global and research reputation (as reported by academics and peers) and number of highly cited scholarly papers.

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014.

“A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

The rankings also assess a university’s strength in various subject areas; these assessments are separate from U.S. News’ 2026 Best Graduate Programs rankings released in April.

This year, Berkeley was named in the top three nationally in seven subject areas – environment/ecology, ecology, water resources, physics, computer science, chemistry, and engineering – and in the top five for a total of 17 subjects. Subject rankings are based heavily on scholarly publications and citations as well as reputation.

In September, U.S. News also released its 2026 Best Colleges list, in which Berkeley was also named the No. 1 public institution among American universities.

That honor joins other accolades judging campus to be the best public university in the country, such as those from Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education.

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Lock In Car Price: Avoid Dealer Payment Traps!

Watch the long-form video https://youtu.be/YANxGwD2CjI Don’t get swayed by monthly payments! Always settle the out-of-the-door price first, including all fees. Only then discuss monthly payments, terms, and potential add-ons. #AutoNetwork #CarBuyingTips #CarSales #DealershipSecrets #Negotiation
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Published

1 week ago

June 23, 2026

Oakland Post

Watch the long-form video

Don’t get swayed by monthly payments! Always settle the out-of-the-door price first, including all fees. Only then discuss monthly payments, terms, and potential add-ons. #AutoNetwork #CarBuyingTips #CarSales #DealershipSecrets #Negotiation

The post Lock In Car Price: Avoid Dealer Payment Traps! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.