This week, Alabama Values hosted a powerful virtual briefing as part of our Down for the Count narrative initiative, our long-term effort to demystify the Census and American Community Survey for historically undercounted communities across the South. In partnership with SOLVE, HICA, and The Ordinary People Society, we brought together organizers, legal experts, and storytellers to explore what’s at stake when our communities are erased on paper and how that erasure shows up in policy, power, and everyday life.
This wasn’t just a policy conversation. It was a call to action. A reminder that being counted is about more than numbers, it’s about visibility, resources, and voice.
Anneshia Hardy, Executive Director of Alabama Values, opened the space with clarity and urgency:
“This work isn’t about numbers. It’s about community power. Because every time we are undercounted, we are under-resourced. Our schools lose funding. Our roads suffer. Our representation disappears. And that’s not an accident.”
As the federal government considers adding a citizenship question to the 2030 Census and with ongoing threats like the SAVE Act looming; the briefing surfaced how these efforts are part of a larger strategy to intentionally erase Black, Brown, rural, low-income, and immigrant communities from the democratic process.
Mitchell Brown of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice broke it down clearly with two key points:
- The front end of representation, Census and ACS, are being attacked through proposed citizenship questions, fear-mongering, and disinformation designed to scare people from participating.
- The back end, redistricting, is being manipulated through racial and partisan gerrymandering that redraws maps to silence our votes and split our power.
Mitchell called it out plainly:
“We’re watching elected officials choose their voters instead of voters choosing their elected officials.”
Lady Carlson of the Westside Sponsoring Committee shared the heartbreaking and deeply inspiring story of local leaders in Louisiana, many in their 60s and 70s, who are still fighting for fair maps and Black representation in the face of the pending Supreme Court decision in Callais v. Landry.
She reminded us that in some Louisiana parishes, the loss of accurate census data has already cost communities school board representation. Still, their work continues.
“It’s a year-round battle,” she said. “And we’ve decided we can’t just talk about voting in October, we have to keep educating, organizing, and pushing every single day.”
Ryan Wagner of Black Voters Matter walked us through the dangerous implications of the SAVE Act, what she calls the “Show Me Your Papers Act.”
The bill would impose harsh documentation requirements for voter registration that would disproportionately harm Black, Brown, poor, and immigrant communities. She reminded us:
- 24% of Latino voters and 21% of Black voters lack government-issued ID.
- Name mismatches due to marriage, gender identity, or immigration status could prevent millions from registering to vote.
- This isn’t just about citizenship, it’s about controlling who counts, and by extension, who decides.
“If we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu,” Ryan said. “And right now, they’re rewriting the recipe.”
So, why does this matter?
Representation isn’t just about who gets elected. It’s about who has a say in the systems that shape our daily lives, from schools and hospitals to roads and congressional maps.
As Lady reminded us, many elected officials don’t even meet with Black constituents. “They only meet with the people they agree with.” That’s why it’s not just about electing people who look like us, but those who fight for us.
Where Do We Go From Here?
- Fill out the Census and ACS when they come around and help others do the same.
- Stay educated and informed regarding voter ID laws and “proof of citizenship” bills wherever they appear.
- Organize year-round, not just in election season.
- Push for local representation that reflects the true makeup and needs of our communities.
- Tap in with Down for the Count and help build the narrative power we need to push back.
“Down for the Count” is more than a campaign.
It’s a declaration that we see our communities, that we count our people, and that we won’t be erased.
We’ll continue hosting these briefings across the South. If you missed this one, stay tuned for the next.