In this Issue

Cover

Ethnic MediaBriefings Target Inclusive Count

A New Wave Of Local Offices

Page Two

Partners Count: Regional Director Update

Page Three

Partner Profile: Richmond’s Clovia Lawrence

Quilting Census History

Regional Spotlight: Charleston, South CarolinaBack Page

From Horseback to High-Tech:Census will Define a ‘New Frontier’

Complete Count Committees Building Awareness

The CountdownC h a r l o t te Re g i o n a l Ce n s u s Ce n te r N ews l e t te r Supporting the 2010 Census in Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia

Ethnic Media Briefings Target Hard-To-ReachCharlotte Region Opens Mic to Journalists in Five States In the effort to include everyone in the 2010 Census, the Charlotte Region facilitated a series of brief-ings for ethnic/minority media during August and September. The ethnic media briefings took place in each of the five states in the Char-lotte region in Louisville, Ky., Raleigh, N.C., Columbia, S.C., Memphis, Tenn., and Richmond, Va. The goal was to encourage and support journal-ists in informing their audiences about the census and gaining par-ticipation of hard-to-reach populations.

“We can’t deliver an equi-table census, which counts everyone, without the help of the ethnic media,” said William W. Hatcher, Charlotte regional director. The briefings represented a team effort involving Regional Census Center management, partnership teams in each state, media specialists, and most significantly, 2010 Census partners.

The U.S. Census Bureau has leased space in 37 cities across the Charlotte Region for new local census offices. The new offices are expected to be up and running by late fall. Each will employ about 1,100 census workers during peak operations in spring 2010. Positions, when available, will be posted at www.2010census.gov.

These temporary new offices are in ad-dition to the 15 local offices that opened earlier this year across the five-state region. These early local offices carried out the ad-dress canvassing operation that expanded and corrected a master address list. The list will be used to mail and deliver census forms in March 2010.

O C T O B E R 2 0 0 9

Thirty-Seven New Local Census Offices to Open in Late 2009

KentuckyFive offices:

Ashland, Bowling Green, Covington, Hopkinsville

and Somerset

North Carolina Ten offices:

Asheboro, Boone, Concord, Durham, Gastonia, Hickory,

Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Wilmington and Winston-Salem

South CarolinaSix offices:

Anderson, Beaufort, Florence, Greenville,

Rock Hill and West Columbia

TennesseeSeven offices: Chattanooga, Columbia, Cookeville, Cordova, Jackson, Johnson City, and Murfreesboro

VirginiaNine offices: Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Christiansburg, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Manassas, Newport News, Richmond (serving Henrico County), and Virginia Beach

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Continued on page 2.

William W. Hatcher

“Partner contributions big and small are accumulating to form the needed push for a complete count next spring.”

P a r t n e r s C o u n t R e g i o n a l D i r e c t o r ’ s U p d a t eOur partners, along with our complete count committees, form the strategic core of the 2010 Census outreach campaign. I’m proud to report that in the five-state Charlotte Region, nearly 7,000 groups and organizations have signed partner-ship agreements or have verbally commit-ted to being census partners. That number exceeds 74,000 across the United States.

What a sign of sup-port! Partner con-tributions big and small are accumu-lating to form the needed push for a complete count next spring. Let me give you some examples:

For the series of just-completed ethnic me-dia briefings, our partners in key cities gen-erously provided meeting space, lunches for attending journalists, and other donated support. In Memphis, the staff at the National Civil Rights Muse-um couldn’t have been more accom-modating. The same was true at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville. In Columbia, the president of Benedict Col-lege, Dr. David H. Swinton, set a sumptu-ous table for journalists and distinguished guests.

As the census buzz crescendos to a trum-pet blast of publicity in early 2010, our partners are joining the chorus.

Our communities are counting on our part-ners. My experience in the last few months clearly shows how much they count.

Ethnic continued from cover

The one-hour events, titled “Eth-nic Media and the 2010 Census: A Roundtable Discussion,” fea-tured a panel of RCC manage-ment, partnership specialists, and media specialists. Regional Director William W. Hatcher or Deputy Regional Di-rector Somonica Green opened each briefing with an overview of the 2010 Census, emphasizing the questionnaire. Assistant Re-gional Census Manager Michael Hall gave an overview of the partnership program, highlight-ing the important role of part-

ners and com-plete count committees.

The governor’s census liaison joined the pan-el and told the importance of the census in his/her state. A partnership specialist relat-ed challenges and coopera-tion in getting the count of African-Amer-

icans, Hispanics/Latinos and Asians. The media team lead-er spoke of the importance of ethnic media in gaining census participation.

Attendance at the five briefings totaled about 200 and ranged

from 20 to 50 participants at each event, depending on the size of the host city and pres-ence of ethnic media in the state. Participation in the “open mic” sessions was robust.

As trusted voices, ethnic media have the unique opportunity to tell people about the census and encourage participation. The Charlotte region recognizes ethnic media’s important role in the census and is committed to building relationships with the media and their communities.

The series of ethnic media briefings moved us closer to that goal.

Left: Panelists in Raleigh, N.C., are (l-r): Greg Richardson, Census Tribal Liaison; Axel Lluch, Governor’s Hispanic Census Liaison; Bob Coats, Governor’s Census Liaison; and William W. Hatcher, Regional Director.

Journalists from eth-nic media attended a series of 2010 Census briefings in Memphis, Tenn. (above), Rich-mond, Va. (top right) and Columbia, S.C. (right).

2010 CENSUS TIMELINE

October 15, 2009 Walk-ion centers available to help people - especially those with little or no English-speaking ability- complete census questionnaires.

October November December January Febuary

New Census Web Site Launched

Census Road Tour (Jan 4 - April 13)

Peak RecruitingAdvertising Campaign Begins

Questionnaire Assistance Centers Open

Local Census Office Open Houses

2009 2009 2009 2010

“We have to be visible and actively digging deep to let people know how the count will benefit them.”

- Clovia Lawrence

Clovia Lawrence

Three squares from the Kentucky census quilt represent three of the state’s 120 counties. Individual quilters are producing the squares that will form the finished product.

2010 2010 2010 2010

Census Road Tour (Jan 4 - April 13)

Peak RecruitingAdvertising Campaign Begins

Questionnaire Assistance Centers Open

In the 18th century, Charleston was America’s wealthiest city. South Carolina’s second-largest city of 110,866 people abounds in historic buildings and antebellum homes. About 4 million visitors flock to Charleston yearly to ride in horse-drawn carriages, shop in quaint shops and dine in gracious restaurants.

The historic district is part of a metropolitan area of 616,350 population. Between 2000 and 2008, Charleston’s 15.9 percent growth rate surpassed the state’s 11.7 percent.

Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. and Charleston City Council have issued a proclamation supporting the 2010 Census. Charleston’s Mojo Arts Festival, a celebration of African-American and Caribbean Arts, is a key census partner.

Charleston, South Carolina

Regional Spotlight

photo courtesy of Charleston Area CVB. More information at www.charlestoncvb.com

She goes. She works. She cares. Richmond broadcast journalist Clovia Lawrence has made it her mission to take the census message to the streets of central Virginia.

“We can’t expect the people to come to us,” she said. “We have to go where the people are. When we’re on their turf, they are much more open and receptive.”

Lawrence, news director for Radio One Rich-mond’s four radio stations and community affairs director for three of the stations, hosts the market’s top-rated public affairs show, “Community Conversations.”

In fact, local folks call Lawrence “Miss Com-munity.” That’s no exaggeration. With a loyal

following of more than 100,000 listeners, Lawrence often is at the forefront of voter education and empowerment initiatives, disaster relief, youth advocacy and social programs.

“I’ve spent a lot of time building trust,” Lawrence said. “I work hard to dispel urban myths about the census, and I’m constantly encouraging my audience to mail their questionnaires back.”

P a r t n e r P r o f i l e : C l o v i a L a w r e n c e

Census workers in Kentucky and South Carolina are taking part in a project that stitches together the history of their states, the diversity within their borders, and the 2010 Census.

About 100 Kentucky volunteers are craft-ing a 2010 Census Quilt featuring 120, six by six-inch squares, each representing a county in the Blue Grass State. The project is similar to one completed by South Carolina artist Jackie Hill, which highlights the importance of the census to the Palmetto State. Both quilts will be displayed at events to raise census awareness.

Ben Johnson, Kentucky partnership team leader, sees the quilts as a perfect melding of tradition and message.

Ky., S.C. Quilters Combine History and Census

“Quilting is really big in Kentucky,” John-son said. “The idea of how important each individual segment is mirrors how important each segment is to the Census.”

Quilting, usually a group activity, can be la-bor intensive. Some segments of the Ken-tucky Census Quilt have taken up to 40 hours to complete. Each square of the quilt, with a color theme of green, yellow and gold, features a unique aspect of the county it represents.

The Jefferson County segment depicts the spires of Churchill Downs, home of the Ken-tucky Derby. A segment for Harden County features bars of gold, a nod to Fort Knox. Mary Charles, owner of the Quilter’s Cor-ner in Lexington, Ky., will sow the Kentucky quilt’s squares together.

The South Carolina census quilt by artist Jackie Hill features the theme “America Is In Our Hands; We Are Census 2010.”

Census questionnaire available at select public sites for individuals who did not receive one by mail.

Census workers visit housing units that did not return a completed questionnaire by mail to conduct a personal interview.

Counts people living or staying in places such as military barracks, college residence halls, skilled nursing facilities, group homes and correctional facilities.

March April May June July

Peak Advertising Campaign Group Quarters Enumeration

Census Takers Follow Up on Unreturned QuestionnairesBe Counted Program ►April 1, 2010 - Census Day Recognized

2010 CENSUS TIMELINE

“We are very serious about getting every person in our county counted.”

- Sharon P. Williams, Chair of the Claredon County Inter-Agency Council., S.C.

Though the geographical frontier disappeared 120 years ago, America still

defines itself as a frontier nation, a country with a rugged, curious and adventurous character.

is published by the Charlotte Regional Census Center.

William W. HatcherRegional Director

Somonica L. GreenDeputy Regional Director

Michael A. HallAssistant Regional Census Manager

Partnership Program

B.J. WelbornEditor

Ryan BurkhartGraphic Designer

If you would prefer to receive a PDF of The Countdown via e–mail please send your request to: ryan.m.burkhart@census.gov

To submit an article to appear in The Countdown,please contact the editor:

Charlotte Regional Census Center3701 Arco Corporate Drive, Suite 250Charlotte, NC 28273-7007Phone: 704-936-5330

Historians generally agree America’s frontier – the geo-graphic line dividing civilization from the wilderness - dis-appeared after the 1890 Census. The nation’s 11th census, which counted 63 million people, and for the first time attempted to include all America Indians, re-vealed settlers dotted the land-scape from sea to shining sea. Ever-changing America was be-coming a land of immigrants and city-dwellers as young people fled the farm.

Though the geographical frontier disappeared 120 years ago, Amer-ica still defines itself as a frontier nation, a country with a rugged, curious and adventurous charac-ter. That was true during Ameri-ca’s first census in 1790, when U.S. marshals fanned out on horseback to take the headcount, to today’s high-tech census.

What will the 2010 Census reveal about America?

The numbers gathered next year likely will show some things predictable: our population is aging; it’s becom-ing more diverse; the South and West are gaining at the

expense of other regions; and, cities are growing.

Numbers gathered in the census also will document such details as exactly which cities are gaining or losing people; exact-ly where Hispanic, Asian, Arab and other racial and ethnic groups are grow-ing; and, which states will gain or lose congressional seats.

America always has a new frontier. Our democracy demands we explore it, document it and provide facts about it to decision makers and the public. The 2010 Census allows us to achieve that goal.

F r o m H o r s e b a c k … t o H i g h – T e c h T h e C e n s u s W i l l D e f i n e A m e r i c a ’ s ‘ N e w F r o n t i e r ’

Complete Count Committees Popping Up Across the RegionComplete count commit-tees are popping up all over. The five-state Char-lotte region now has more than 660 complete count committees, a healthy chunk of the nearly 7,000 nationwide. Officials esti-mate another 6,000 are in the works.

The committees are a ma-jor part in the overall effort to making the 2010 Census

a success. Complete count com-mittees support and promote the census and are tailored to fit their specific area.

Typically, the highest elected of-ficial in the state, local or tribal government forms the committee. That leader is usually joined by some of the area’s most influen-tial community leaders, as well as experts in government, education and faith-based organizations.

The Countdown

The Countdown