Dorothy Height, Karl Rove and Other Well Known Americans Remind Residents It's Not Too Late to Mail Back Census Forms

Their Public Service Announcements are Online and On Air

WASHINGTON, April 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Civil rights legend Dorothy Height and former presidential senior adviser Karl Rove are the newest additions to a growing list of well-known Americans who have recorded public service announcements (PSAs) for the 2010 Census. The list includes President Obama, Miss America Caressa Cameron, Donny Osmond, Olympic athletes, major league baseball players, mayors and members of Congress. The Rove and Height PSAs are released today to remind residents that they still have a little more than two weeks to mail back their census forms and avoid having a census taker visit in early May.

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO)

The U.S. Census Bureau's PSA campaign is meant to raise public awareness about the 2010 Census and motivate people to fill out their questionnaires and mail them back. There is no cost to the taxpayers for each speaker's time or for the airtime to broadcast the PSAs over television or radio. The involvement of these trusted voices extends the reach of paid, earned and social media.

Height was one of the leading figures in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and, now at age 98, chairs the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the nation's largest civil rights organization. Height served as president of the National Council of Negro Women from 1957 until 1998 when she became chair and president emerita.  

"A very important piece of mail has arrived at my house today; yours too. It is the 2010 Census," Height says in her PSA. "Please take a moment to answer just 10 easy questions. You have the power to benefit your community for the next 10 years. You have the right to be counted. It is your civic duty. Don't let anybody or anything stop you."

Rove, a former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff for President George W. Bush, works as a political analyst and contributor for Fox News, Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal.

"If you've not yet mailed back your 2010 Census form, it's not too late," Rove says in his PSA. "Please, answer the 10 easy questions. They are almost the same ones Madison helped write for the first census in 1790."

The current gallery of PSAs is meant to increase participation in the 2010 Census. Miss America urges everyone to, "Be a winner. Fill out your form and mail it back." Pop singer and dancing star Donny Osmond says, "The information you provide will help your community get the federal funding — and representation in Congress — that it deserves." Even Nickelodeon's animated character Dora the Explorer chimes in, saying, "We did it! Yay! Everybody counts on the census form, especially little kids!"

WHERE TO FIND PSAs

2010 Census PSAs can be seen, heard, and in some cases downloaded, at the following sites:

2010census.gov — Official site for the 2010 Census. The Multimedia Center is a one-stop shop for information and media resources, including PSAs, videos and photos. 2010census.gov

U.S. Census Bureau's YouTube Channel — Home to PSAs, TV ads, partnership testimonials and how to "Fill Out Your Form" videos in dozens of languages. uscensusbureau

2010 Census PSA Spot Source — The place for everyone to download or order hard copies from a wide selection of PSAs in English and en Espanol.  spotsource.census.gov

NAB Spot Center — The place for broadcasters to preview and download national PSAs in English and en Espanol.  http://www.nab.org/AM/ASPCode/SpotCenter/campaign.asp?id=68

ABOUT THE 2010 CENSUS

      The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data are used to apportion congressional seats to states, to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to tribal, state and local governments each year and to make decisions about what community services to provide. The 2010 Census form will be one of the shortest in U.S. history, consisting of 10 questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete. Strict confidentiality laws protect the respondents and the information they provide.

Editor's note: News releases, reports and data tables are available on the Census Bureau's home page. Go to http://www.census.gov and click on "Releases."

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau