Robert Santos Will Bring Transparency And Integrity To Census Bureau
NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE: ROBERT SANTOS WILL BRING TRANSPARENCY AND INTEGRITY TO CENSUS BUREAU
NEW YORK (April 14, 2021) -- National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial issued the following statement regarding President Biden’s nomination of Robert Santos as Director, U.S. Census Bureau:
“As the United States increases its diversity and people of color comprise a greater share of respondents in Census surveys measuring the nation’s well-being: economic, educational, health, political and more, the National Urban League applauds President Biden’s historic nomination of Robert Santos to lead the Census Bureau as its Director. It cannot go unnoticed that Mr. Santos, pending Senate confirmation, would be the first person of color to lead the Census Bureau on a permanent basis, since the first Census was conducted in 1790 when people of African descent were counted as 3/5ths of a person.”
“It is critical that a Census nominee have a keen understanding of America’s rapidly changing demographics and the methodologies needed to collect accurate, quality data on all of the country’s populations, irrespective of national origin, citizenship, race, ethnicity, language or geographic location.” Robert Santos’ career-long research and advocacy on behalf of undercounted populations of color and his leadership as President of the American Statistical Association, make him uniquely qualified to lead the Census Bureau.
“The National Urban League welcomes Santos’ commitment to increased transparency, scientific integrity and freedom from political interference should his nomination be approved. The National Urban league supports Mr. Santos’ swift confirmation in order to address lingering 2020 Census data quality and accuracy concerns and longstanding agency diversity needs.”