Community engagement is at the core of good public health. Every successful public health project I’ve been a part of has had the community voice at the core of every aspect of the work. Having the community voice leading the charge not only ensures that equity is at the center of the discussion, but also creates value.
On a project to ensure a fair and accurate census count in Michigan’s diverse communities, I worked with local organizations to manage projects that reach the hardest to reach populations and increase community voice and power.
Background: Michigan Census
Everyone matters, and everyone wins. That was the message of a nonprofit community campaign launched in late 2018 to ensure that Michigan not only achieved a fair and accurate count in the 2020 Census, but also reached (and counted!) the community members who were hardest to count.
Typically, the federal government’s once-a-decade U.S. census undercounts many people in our communities, including people of color, people who have been incarcerated, undocumented immigrants, and low-income people. Because the census count determines a community’s strength and funding for critical programs, the absence of these populations is a huge loss for our communities.
The hypothesis for the Be Counted Michigan project was that relying on trusted local organizations to educate people about the census and provide opportunities to take the census would lead to higher numbers and a more accurate count, which would result in more funding and a stronger voice for local communities. When communities can come together on projects like this, it means empowerment, engagement, and everyone wins.
Key elements of the project
This statewide campaign included four key elements:
- We value diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Leverage nonprofit and community organizations as trusted voices in diverse communities and allow these organizations to lead projects and advisory committees.
- It provides grants (allocated to each county) to local nonprofits, coalitions, neighborhood associations, universities, and cities and towns.
- We created a marketing campaign centered around communications that were culturally sensitive and reflective of the communities in which the work takes place. This was achieved through online, print, social media, television and radio communications.
Barriers and equity gaps
There were already many barriers preventing a fair census count and access to coverage. Past censuses have already shown undercounting, particularly of communities of color and low-income communities. These barriers have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, growing distrust in government, and the possibility of adding a U.S. citizenship question (a question that has not been included on the census for decades).
As a result, several Michigan counties were at risk of being undercounted. Additionally, this was the first census to be online-first, meaning people without internet access or who were on the move were at risk of not being counted. All of these factors created a challenging environment that required creativity to overcome.
Local highlight: Great Lakes Bay Region
The Great Lakes Bay Region (comprised of Saginaw, Bay, Midland and Isabella counties) addressed many barriers to ensure their community was counted. The region saw unprecedented community engagement around the census, with unique ideas emerging and community members committed to the end goal of reaching their hardest-to-reach neighbors.
One example of great outreach that was part of this project was the City of Saginaw, which came together with multiple community partners to throw one of the biggest block parties of all time. The grant funded a mobile census unit (a city bus wrapped with a locally designed Be Counted! logo and featuring a DJ playing hit tunes on board). The bus was equipped with volunteers and iPads and traveled to every neighborhood in the city, giving community members a chance to participate in the census and ask questions. The party continued at City Hall, where the grant funded food, music, games, prizes, and opportunities to be counted in the census and mingle with local celebrities.
Thousands of people came together that day as volunteers celebrated their big wins and progress with the community. It was an amazing sight. This is one example of the more than 50 grant projects undertaken in the Great Lakes Bay Region that shows how communities have come together to reduce barriers, improve community knowledge, and work together to achieve positive outcomes.
result
Michigan ranked eighth in the nation for voluntary census response rate, surpassing its 2010 voluntary response rate. Unfortunately, despite achieving higher than expected response rates, we lost a House seat. But what we gained is very significant. This project showed us how to work with communities, how to engage local organizations, and how to work together to build something that allows everyone to participate.
The trust gains made in the local community are countless. People felt included in something and empowered to drive improvement. A network of partners grew and developed, and the project laid the foundation for similar efforts. It showed that when communities are valued and engaged in a culturally sensitive way, long-term, sustainable change can happen. That’s good public health.
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