I just started a petition on the White House petitions site, We the People. Will you sign it? http://wh.gov/2Ur
Today I received disturbing news that there is a petition at the White House that calls for banning certain questions from the Census that deal with race and ethnicity.
I worked for an education organization in a poor part of town that was mostly African American. These folks had never seen a Census worker, and the 2000 Census wanted to make sure their voice was heard.
Schools were built in the neighborhoods that were too small, because local government depended on Census data to see how many local children would be going to those schools. The schools were too small and had out-buildings as soon as they were built.
These children were marginalized before they were born and now have to go to school in temporary classrooms. Now someone wants to eliminate race and ethnicity from the Census data and I say no! Until there is some kind of equality for people of color, people who live in poorer parts of town that the Census takers don’t want to go to, these questions must remain in the Census and the government should go out of its way to make sure all people are counted. The last Census went door-to-door here, but probably didn’t go through the poorer neighborhoods.
I’ve introduced a petition, President Obama, to make sure underserved neighborhoods are counted. Yes, an old, upper middle-class white woman cares about Southeastern San Diego and other poor communities. After all, I’m a “community organizer” so you know my leadership qualities.
I spent several years as a consultant to CPIE, the Center for Parent Involvement in Education under Walter Kudumu. He and his wife Maisha taught me a lot and while I never became Sistah Dee, I walked the walk and loved the fried catfish and people I met who’ve gone on to great things. Here’s to you, Kudumu, in the afterlife. You owe me! Dee
Cooking with Dee 