New York Office Washington, D.C. Office 40 Rector Street, 5th Fl. 700 14th St., NW, Ste. 600 New York, NY 10006-1738 Washington, D.C. 20005 T 212.965.2200 / F 212.226.7592 T 202.682.1300 / F 202.682.1312 www.naacpldf.org August 7, 2018 VIA FEDERAL E-RULEMAKING PORTAL & EMAIL Ms. Jennifer Jessup Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer Department of Commerce Room 6616 14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230 http://www.regulations.gov (Docket # USBC-2018-0005)
[email protected] Re: Comments on 2020 Census, Including Proposed Information Collection The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (“LDF”), our country’s first and foremost civil rights and racial justice organization, appreciates the opportunity to provide comments in response to the Federal Register notice (the “Notice”). Since its founding in 1940, one of LDF’s core missions has been the achievement of the full, equal, and active participation of all Americans, particularly Black Americans, in the political process.1 Consistent with this mission, LDF has engaged in public education campaigns to inform communities, particularly Black communities,2 about prior censuses and the upcoming 2020 Census, explaining the importance of the Census count and advocating for various changes to the Census, including reforming how incarcerated people are counted on Census Day and using a combined race and ethnicity question.3 Most recently, LDF has vigorously opposed and sought public records on the Census Bureau’s decision to add a citizenship status 1 LDF has been a separate entity from the NAACP, and its state branches, since 1957.