Jeff for America

I was only 14 during the last census, so I don’t really remember much about it. Undoubtedly counted in my family household, I didn’t really participate. I do remember, though, reading through 2000 census data tables during college. There was a lot of information in those numbers, and so I’ve really enjoyed being a conscious citizen (and 24 years of age) during the most recent enumeration of our country’s population. I’ve also found it to be the perfect teaching opportunity. Just like the recent Presidential election, I had to take advantage of teaching the census since it doesn’t come around all that often.

And so I tied the census into my African American History curriculum and explained the relationship between representation and the 3/5th clause during slavery. I also got to bring in a guest speaker from the census, and copied my blank census form for the kids to fill out. They walked away with a good understanding of its purpose and history, and we had some fun with the same numbers I crunched in college. All in all, a good opportunity to think about the intersection between history and the real world.

Just last week, I found this great website by the Census Bureau that shows the participation rate at national and local levels. You can even zoom in on your county or neighborhood (they call it a tract) and see the percentage of people who have turned in their census. It even compares your neighborhood’s participation to the last census, and to the state and national average. Color-coded for ease of comparison, the colorful map can tell stories on its own. Scrolling through Philadelphia’s map, I can compare a wealthy neighborhood, like my neighborhood (58-67% submitted), to a low-income area, like the neighborhoods along Broad street (33-38% submitted). Take a gander and play around a bit. You’ll probably be surprised by how much fun the census can be.

It’s strange to think that the next time the census rolls around, I’ll be 34. And my students – the same ones who scream when someone farts – will be 24.

- Jeff