January 8, 2020
Power of Us PAC and Fair Count Announce Partnership Ahead of 2020 Census
Fair Count will participate in an event hosted by Power of Us PAC in Boston later this month
Boston, MA - The Power of Us PAC, created by U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Fair Count, a Georgia-based non-profit founded by former Georgia House of Representatives Minority Leader and gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, today announced a strategic partnership to help ensure that communities in the Massachusetts’ 7th are counted fairly and accurately as part of the 2020 Census.
Created in March 2019, Fair Count is dedicated to partnering with community leaders and organizations, engaging faith communities, and effectively leveraging technology to ensure the fair and accurate inclusion of hard-to-count (HTC) communities in Georgia and around the country in the 2020 Census. Through the Power of Us PAC, Pressley will continue to build on the work begun during her groundbreaking 2018 campaign by fostering civic engagement and ensuring that everyone has a seat at the table of democracy. Pressley’s district, the Massachusetts 7th, is majority-minority and approximately 40 percent foreign-born residents, two groups that are historically undercounted during the census process.
“Our democracy only works when everyone is represented,” said Representative Pressley. “The Census plays an essential role in determining both representation in Congress and the allocation of critical funding, but too many communities remain chronically under-counted, and the current Administration’s cruel and shortsighted policies threaten to further depress participation in our most vulnerable communities. My sister-in-service Stacey and the team at Fair Count are leading the work of increasing public awareness, building our civic infrastructure, and ensuring a safe, fair, and accurate count in communities across the country. I’m honored to partner with them to continue the work of addressing the systemic inequities and disparities facing the communities of the Massachusetts’ 7th.”
“The Census drives funding for priorities like education and healthcare, establishes guidelines for reapportionment and redistricting, and provides vital information to guide community and economic development,” said Rebecca DeHart, CEO of Fair Count. “Ensuring that all of our communities are counted fairly and accurately is essential to leveling the playing field in Georgia, in Massachusetts, and around the country. As Fair Count seeks to grow our work through partnerships with dynamic, trusted leaders - especially those in hard-to-count communities - we are thrilled to be working with Representative Pressley, who has done so much work to engage diverse communities throughout her district, and who is committed to ensuring a fair and accurate count of all people as part of the 2020 Census.”
Later this month, Fair Count will participate in a community conversation hosted by Power of Us PAC in Boston centered on the importance of the Census and how community leaders, organizations, and advocates can promote greater participation, followed by a training for faith leaders on strategies for ensuring that people in their communities are counted.
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About Power of Us PAC
The Power of US Political Action Committee is a “leadership PAC” established by U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA-07). Power of Us PAC emphasizes three pillars of activism - Vote, Run, Work – to foster civic engagement, support bold candidates at the federal level, and develop a diverse pipeline for those interested in electoral and issue advocacy campaigns. Like Representative Pressley’s official campaign account, the Power of Us PAC - which can accept contributions of up to $5,000 annually from individuals and other political action committees - does not accept contributions from corporate PACs, and all contributors are made public. More information can be found at https://www.powerofuspac.com/.
About Fair Count
Founded by Stacey Abrams in 2019, Fair Count is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to partnering with HTC communities to achieve a fair and accurate count of all people in Georgia and the nation in the 2020 Census and to strengthening the pathways to greater civic participation. More information can be found at www.FairCount.org.