Columbus, GA— Today, Fair Count and founder Stacey Abrams launched the ‘I Count’ bus tour to increase awareness about the 2020 Census. With more than 50 stops scheduled across the state of Georgia, the ‘I Count’ bus started in Columbus and left for Laurens County for a later stop.

“The 2020 Census is here and it is up to us to get counted and ensure that all of us, our families and our communities, are part of American’s narrative for the next decade,” said Abrams. “We cannot let them erase our story today or from our nation’s future. We must get counted.”

The Census results will determine the allocation of more than $1.5 trillion in resources annually through more than 300 federal programs, guide reapportionment and direct redistricting efforts throughout the nation. It is estimated that each person in Georgia accounts for roughly $3,600 per person in federal funding. These federal dollars fund efforts that impact our lives every day, including infrastructure, healthcare, education, disaster relief and more.

Today’s kick-off was held at Carver High School in Columbus, GA and featured local partners Kids Doc on Wheels, Southwest Georgia Project Inc., Greater Columbus Urban League Young Professionals, and Black Dads Count. The bus then traveled to Dublin, GA for the Black Heritage Festival. On Sunday, the bus will be in Clayton County and will end the day in Talbot County. The “I Count” bus tour will stop in more than 50 counties between March 7th and April 5th. The stops were chosen to highlight the places labeled “Hard to Count” by the Census Bureau as they have historically been undercounted.

State Representative and Chair of Fair Count’s Board of Directors Carolyn Hugley also spoke at the kick-off saying, “Georgia has been counted out for far too long. This year, an accurate count in the 2020 census is the first step in the journey to correcting that injustice.”

Follow the ‘I Count’ bus tour route at www.faircount.org/icount.