Chequea Las Dos: Black and Latino

Here's an example of the power of uniting. (This video and text were created by the Afrolatinoforum Channel):

[Afro-Latinos have been grossly undercounted in previous census drives.] Such an undercount not only denies the African aspect of Latino identity, it deprives organizations of resources they need to improve the lives of this community.

By proclaiming Check Both!/¡Chequea las dos! the bilingual media spots highlight the importance for Latinos of African descent to self-identify as such on the Census.

The implications of the count are far-reaching, determining how $400 billion in federal funds are distributed to local governments each year. Over 10 years, a community could lose a projected $1.2 million of federal funding for housing, health and education programs for every 100 persons that are not counted, according to the NAACP. Studies have established that despite a higher educational level, Black Latinos have the highest rate of unemployment and are more likely to live below the poverty level than other Latinos.