Last week, Alabama Values and partners hosted Down For the Count: What’s at Stake Now, a powerful virtual conversation on why the 2030 Census is not a far-off issue but a fight that begins today. The discussion made it clear that the census is more than just a headcount. It is the foundation of our democracy, shaping everything from how voting districts are drawn to how billions of dollars in federal resources flow to schools, hospitals, housing, and other critical services. When communities are undercounted, we lose representation, resources, and political power.
As Executive Director Anneshia Hardy reminded us, “They always count us out, but this is how we count ourselves in.”
The stakes are high. Court battles and policy shifts threaten to further silence Black, Brown, immigrant, and rural communities. From attempts to add a citizenship question to the census, to weakening Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, to the practice of prison gerrymandering, decisions being made today will directly shape whether our neighborhoods are represented fairly in the future. These threats are compounded by disinformation campaigns designed to spread fear and confusion, making people think it isn’t safe to participate.
At the heart of the conversation was a recognition that numbers alone don’t move people—stories do. Alabama Values’ Down for the Count Narrative Initiative has been testing messaging with more than 500 Alabamians, and the findings are clear: everyday language and values-based storytelling resonate far more deeply than abstract data points. Phrases like “They always count us out. This is how we count ourselves in” or “Every zip code matters” remind people that participation is about visibility, fairness, and belonging. As Hardy noted, “Getting the message right isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.”
Down for the Count partners and community leaders across the South echoed this point. Mitchell Brown of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice explained how census participation is directly tied to redistricting battles that determine whether every vote counts. Rodreshia Russaw of The Ordinary People Society described how faith-based organizations and local leaders serve as trusted messengers, reaching people at soup kitchens, churches, and community events where hope and information intersect. And Carlos Xavier Torres of the Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama shared a personal story of being counted as a child, underscoring how resources for schools and families depended on his family’s willingness to participate.
What united all of these voices was the understanding that the census is not about government demands—it’s about our communities claiming their rightful power. Whether through voter registration drives, town halls, church gatherings, or neighborhood group chats, the census must be woven into the broader fabric of civic life. When we count ourselves in, we fight back against invisibility and ensure our neighborhoods have the resources and representation they deserve.
The message from the event was clear: we cannot wait until 2030 to act. The work begins now. Everyone has a role to play—talking to family and neighbors, integrating census education into advocacy, and joining campaigns like Down for the Count. Because if we’re not counted, we’re left out. And Alabama deserves better.