JOINT CENTER News Room
Joint Center Relaunches Census 2000 Website
February 29, 2000
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is relaunching its Census 2000 website to ensure that the public, particularly traditionally undercounted groups, has easy access to key information in the final stretch before the April 1 census.
The site (www.jointcenter.org/census.htm) highlights the Joint Center's 1999 poll on attitudes towards the census, the audio from the Eighth National Policy Institute workshop on the census held in January 2000, and FOCUS magazine articles explaining the impact of new multi-racial categories, the uses of census data, and the debate over statistical sampling. There is also a link to the Census Bureau's site for additional fact sheets and information on Census jobs.
"Information is the key to ensuring greater participation in the census and this website provides answers to the questions that people have asked during the 18 months we have been working on this issue," said Eddie N. Williams, president of the Joint Center. "In our 1999 poll, approximately one-third of the respondents said they were not aware of the upcoming census. If we are to avoid the errors of 1990, we must ensure that people understand the often devastating impact of incorrect census counts on their communities," he said.
In addition to updating the website, last week the Joint Center ran a print promotional campaign targeting African Americans in New York (New York Amsterdam), Los Angeles (L.A. Sentinel), Washington, D.C. (Washington Afro American), Baltimore (Baltimore Afro American), Detroit (Michigan Chronicle) and Chicago (Chicago Defender).
Funding for the Census 2000 project entitled "Overcoming the Undercount" is provided by the Ford Foundation.
###
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies informs and illuminates the nation's major public policy debates through research, analysis, and information dissemination in order to: improve the socioeconomic status of black Americans and other minorities; expand their effective participation in the political and public policy arenas; and promote communications and relationships across racial and ethnic lines to strengthen the nation's pluralistic society.
1090 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20005-4928
Phone: 202-789-3500 Fax: 202-789-6390 http://www.jointcenter.org