Dear Brooklyn,
In preparation for the upcoming 2020 US Census, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams is forming the Brooklyn Complete Count Committee (BCCC) to ensure that all of our communities are accurately counted and represented.
Historically, certain populations essential to the culture of Brooklyn have been disproportionately undercounted in the decennial Census. In fact, according to CUNY researchers, Brooklyn is the hardest to count county in New York State.
As a result, our undercounted residents have been denied an equal voice in their government. For many Brooklyn communities, an undercount has deprived them of federal and state funding for key infrastructure including schools, health care, housing, transportation and community development. Moreover, in light of growing anti-immigrant policies at the federal level, we want to make sure Brooklynites feel safe and informed about the 2020 Census.
As a trusted leader in Brooklyn’s communities, we are inviting you to join this committee and help Make Brooklyn Count.
The first official meeting of the Brooklyn Complete Count Committee (“BCCC”) will take place on Tuesday, October 23rd at 9:00 AM at Brooklyn Borough Hall, to be followed by a press conference at 10:00 AM with Borough PresidentAdams announcing the launch of the committee.
We ask that you RSVP here by Friday, October 5th to join the committee and indicate if you will be at the launch meeting and press conference.
To help committee members learn more about the importance of the Census, we are hosting a webinar on Friday, October 12th at 10AM, led by BCCC members from New York Counts 2020 and the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College. Register here
The BCCC will be a central vehicle for coordinating and nurturing cooperative effort among a broad spectrum of government and community leaders from education, business, healthcare, houses of worship, cultural institutions, and other community organizations. Working together, these trusted voices will develop the Make Brooklyn Count campaign, and work to ensure that every Brooklyn resident — regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, or immigration status — is counted in 2020.
The BCCC will also ensure the broad distribution of key information, such as messaging on changes to the Census questionnaire, strategies for achieving full participation in your community, navigating technology barriers, advocating for funding opportunities for Census related work, employment opportunities, and more.
Thank you for the work you do on behalf of Brooklyn’s communities and we look forward to partnering together to Make Brooklyn Count in 2020.
Sincerely,
Pastor Gilford Monrose
Brooklyn Complete Count Committee Co-Chair
Director, Faith-Based & Clergy Initiatives
Office of the Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams
Cecilia Clarke
Brooklyn Complete Count Committee Co-Chair
President and CEO
Brooklyn Community Foundation
Pastor Gilford Monrose
Director, Faith-Based & Clergy Initiatives
Office of the Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams
209 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
T (718) 802-3761