The U.S. Census Bureau said it has reached its goal of recruiting more than 2.6 million applicants for the once-a-decade head count that launched for most of America this week — but it has been a bumpy road getting there and the new corona virus will likely make the path even more difficult.

The nation's abundance of jobs has complicated the effort, and some rural areas — particularly in New England, Appalachia and some Rocky Mountain states — are falling behind recruitment goals as the agency works to hire up to a half-million temporary workers before May. Falling short could threaten the count in some parts of the country, which in turn could lead to under-representation in Congress and less federal funding.

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League
 

“One of my colleagues said to me, this is the first time I’ve seen a political billboard without a picture on it. Why isn’t your picture on it? I said, because it ain’t about me. It’s about the message on that billboard and the message is simply thus: making the greatness of this country accessible and affordable for all. We don’t need to make this country great again. This country is great. That’s not what our challenge is. Our challenge is making the greatness of this country accessible and affordable for all.” — U.S. Rep. James Clyburn

The 76-year-old great-granddaughter of an enslaved woman in South Carolina may be responsible for singlehandedly changing the trajectory of the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary.

The spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus threatens communities across the country and millions of people around the globe. The National Urban League encourages everyone to practice all preventative measures outlined by the CDC including, but not limited to:

The New York Urban League (New York, NY) held its centennial kick-off event “100 Stories of Black New York” on February 20 at New-York Historical Society, coinciding with a special installation titled “The New York Urban League at 100” on exhibit now through May 17.

The Urban League and AT&T Missouri co-hosted a job fair at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) on Thursday. The fair, which aimed to boost employment in the area, gave applicants opportunities to improve their resumes, practice interviewing before meeting with AT&T managers and, if selected, get a second interview.

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The community gathered on Tuesday to discuss the 2020 U.S. census.

The Central Florida Urban League (Orlando, FL) hosted a fireside chat with Spectrum News 13's Curtis McCloud.

President and CEO of Urban League Marc Morial explained the importance of completing the census and the impacts in our community.

"If you don't participate now and not counted now, your children will be 10 years older when the next census comes around," he said. "That kind of puts it into perspective the impact that the simple task filling out the census right now makes for the long run."

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The CROWN Coalition, the official national supporters of the CROWN Act movement; an alliance founded by Dove, National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty and Color Of Change, along with over 50 CROWN Act supporting organizations are thrilled to announce the Commonwealth of Virginia and the state of Colorado as the latest states to enact the CROWN Act.   This important law will prohibit hair discrimination against anyone based on the texture of their hair, hair type, protective hairstyles like braids, locs and twists.

Let's Make Black Count! Still not sure why and how to fill out the Census? Join our call on Tuesday, March 10th for everything you need to know. | Check your mail! March 12 will kick off an urgent phase of the 2020 Census process. Here's how you should respond once you get the official mail. | Virtual Career Fair. Don't miss a chance to chat with recruiters and learn about paid 2020 summer internship opportunities on March 12. Register today! | Calling women entrepreneurs! 5by20 is The Coca-Cola Company's initiative to empower 5 million women through entrepreneurship. See how it could help you. | New Jobs Report. What do the latest numbers say about the state of the economy? Our Senior Economic Advisor Dr. Bernard Anderson explains. | Take action. The Trump administration wants to weaken the Community Reinvestment Act, which helps fight discriminatory redlining practices. Help stop this!