King Family Urges Residents to Open Their Doors and Answer the 2010 Census

Their Public Service Announcements are Online and On Air

WASHINGTON, May 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The three surviving children of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King -- Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King and Bernice Albertine King -- are the newest additions to a growing list of well-known Americans who have recorded public service announcements (PSAs) in support of the 2010 Census.  

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

The list of endorsements includes President Obama, Miss America Caressa Cameron, Donny Osmond, Karl Rove, Olympic athletes, major league baseball players, mayors, Members of Congress and the late Dorothy Height. The King PSA is released today to remind residents that it is not too late to be counted in the 2010 census -- just open your door to the local census taker and answer the 10 easy questions.  

The U.S. Census Bureau's PSA campaign is meant to raise public awareness about the 2010 Census and motivate people to participate. 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.

Martin Luther King III is a human rights advocate and community activist.  From 1997 to 2004, he served as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which was founded by his father, Martin Luther King Jr., in 1957. Dexter Scott King is president of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change and a documentary film maker. Bernice Albertine King is a minister, licensed attorney and president-elect of SCLC.

In the 60-second PSA, the King children speak individually, each carrying a couple of lines. Bernice begins, "We are united in support of getting everyone counted in the 2010 Census."  In the middle, Martin says "It is our human right and civic duty to be counted. So please, honor your commitment to democracy. Welcome your local census taker."  Near the end, Dexter concludes, "Our family, your family, we all count."

The current gallery of PSAs is meant to increase participation in the 2010 Census. Miss America reminds everyone, "We all count in the 2010 Census." 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."

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PSAs

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau