SUPPORT OF THE U.S. CENSUS 2020

WHEREAS, the U.S. Census Bureau is required by the U.S. Constitution to conduct a count of the population to help shape the foundation of our society and play an active role in American democracy; and

WHEREAS, the demographics of the United States continue to grow and shift, including individuals who identify as multiracial; and

WHEREAS, the American Federation of Teachers is committed to ensuring that every resident is counted in the 2020 decennial census; and

WHEREAS, billions of dollars per year in federal and state funding are allocated to communities, and decisions are made on matters of national and local importance based on census data, including healthcare, community development, housing, education, transportation, social services, employment and much more; and

WHEREAS, census data determine how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives as well as the redistricting of state legislatures, county and city councils, and voting districts; and

WHEREAS, race and ethnicity data have been a useful tool in examining the consequences of prison gerrymandering (counting prisoners at the prison site rather than in their cities of origin):

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers will call for an end to prison gerrymandering and will demand states enact remedies that counter the disproportionate results of this practice on communities of color; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will keep its leaders and members informed about the developments on the 2020 census and activities to ensure completion in their local communities; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will empower its members to utilize the materials in the "Census in Schools" toolkit and urge its members to join with local state and national partners to achieve an accurate and complete census count; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will support the efforts of the U.S. Census Bureau to ensure a complete and accurate reporting, reflecting the growing diversity of racial and ethnic groups, including a multiracial category that will be disaggregated by race and ethnicity of respondents.