Count Me In: 2020 Census Townhall on 8/31
Join this event and register on EventBrite here!
The deadline for Census Data Collection has been moved up by President Trump to September 30th.
The census only happens every 10 years! However, the results account for our communities’ fair share of dollars, including how many hospital beds are available, roads, federal funds for pre-K and all schools, public works, transportation, employment, health care, public policy and other vital programs. The census data also determines how many congressional seats each state will receive.
Join our knowledgeable panelists to learn everything you and your congregants and friends need to know about the Census. Federal funds, grants and support to the states, counties and all localities are based on population totals and breakdowns by sex, age, race and other factors. The census data also determine how many congressional seats each state will receive.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE 2020 CENSUS
According to Virginia Complete Count Commission, “Data from the Census provides the basis for distributing more than $675 billion each year.”
For the first time ever, as we navigate the Covid-19 outbreak throughout the country in U.S. Census Bureau will accept responses online. Responding should take less time than it takes to finish your morning coffee or read your morning newspaper.
Each person who isn’t counted in the 2020 Census could result in their community losing $2,000 in funding per person, that’s $20,000 per uncounted person over a 10 -year period.
Zoom Meeting Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81074524424
Meeting ID: 810 7452 4424
Dial In: +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
TOWNHALL SPEAKERS
Traci J. DeShazor, a native of Danville, Virginia, is a government relations professional with a focus on promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, strategic communications, and community engagement. Traci’s versatility as a public administrator has allowed her to inform a wide variety of social justice policies and initiatives throughout her career. Most notably, Traci’s work informed the recruitment of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s first-ever Chief Diversity Officer, historic restoration of rights efforts—restoring the voting and civil rights of nearly 200,000 individuals since 2016, the codifying of Virginia’s first-ever African American Advisory Board, and the creation of the Commonwealth Commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Traci has received numerous awards and currently serves as Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a role she was re-appointed to in December 2017 by Governor Ralph Northam following an initial appointment by Governor Terry McAuliffe. In this role, Traci manages a team of more than two dozen personnel—overseeing seven departments including the Governor’s restoration of civil rights and clemency processes, statewide board and commission appointments, oversight of the Governor’s Office of Constituent Services and Community Engagement and constituency-specific advisory boards. Prior to this role, Traci served as the Deputy Director of the Virginia Office of Intergovernmental Affairs where she managed a portfolio of federal issues including environmental, housing, labor, agriculture, and higher education issues and served as a liaison between the Governor, White House, and Virginia’s Congressional delegation.
A master convener, with a passion for criminal justice and voting rights, Traci is a tireless community advocate dedicating her government service to strengthening engagement between the community and government. Focusing her efforts on promoting equity, Traci has stewarded the restructuring of the Governor’s Office of Constituent Services and Community Engagement—aligning efforts to better engage Virginia’s most vulnerable populations. Traci received her M.A. in Justice and Legal Studies from Hollins University and her B.A. in International Studies from Virginia Tech. Traci is a proud active member of the Alpha Phi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Rev. Alisha L. Gordon is an awarded faith leader, preacher, and educator whose work intersects faith, culture, and politics. A native of Decatur, Georgia, Rev. Gordon earned her Bachelor of English from Spelman College and a Masters of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University.
Alisha’s published work has been featured in national publications, including The Huffington Post, WGN’s groundbreaking television show, Underground, Emory University, the General Commission on Religion and Race, and the United Methodist Church. In 2016, she received a Presidential Commendation from Dr. Elmira Mangum, president of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida for her contributions to the university as convocation speaker. In 2015, she was the winner of the Candler School of Theology Community Service Award, and a founding member of award-winning CORE, the Candler Centennial Coalition on Racial Equality.
She is the former Executive Minister of Programs at the historic Riverside Church in the City of New York and served as the National Director of Faith-Based outreach for the 2020 Bloomberg Presidential Campaign. Her commitment to the Church is formed and informed by her practical approach to scripture and social justice. Alisha is ordained in the Baptist tradition by Beloved Community at Emmanuel Baptist Church of Brooklyn, New York.
Alisha currently lives in New York City with her teenage daughter.
The Reverend Doctor Leo Whitaker is a native of Newport News, Virginia, where he was born the eighth of nine children to the late Perry David and Realer Whitaker. As a young boy, he became a member of the First Church of Newport News (Baptist), where the late Dr. Fred J. Boddie, Jr., was his pastor. He graduated with honors from high school and onto Howard University earning a Bachelor of Arts, Virginia Union University, School Theology earning a Master of Divinity, Union Theological Seminary earning a Master of Arts in Christian Education, and to earning the Doctor of Ministry degree from Virginia Union University, School of Theology.
Dr. Whitaker began serving at his home church and delivered his initial sermon and was licensed to preach on July 1, 1979 and ordained into the Gospel of Ministry on December 7, 1986 by his home church as well. While in seminary, Dr. Whitaker worked with First Baptist Church, Dr. Dwight C. Jones, Senior Pastor. After seminary, Dr. Whitaker began working at the Baptist General Convention of Virginia as its first full-time Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries. While serving at BGC as the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries for over five (5) years, the BGC Youth retreats grew by record numbers of over 1,000 senior high students, over 700 junior high students, as many of 2,500 of King’s Dominion BGC Day, and a couple of hundred young people at BGC’s Annual Sessions. For many young people, Dr. Whitaker became “their” youth minister and led many BGC churches in training youth ministers, pastors, and youth workers to serve BGC congregations. BGC was indeed the place to be!! Dr. and Mrs. Whitaker’s home church during his BGC years was at the Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr. John W. Kinney is the senior pastor.
Dr. Whitaker went on to serve at Third Baptist Church and Pastor Joe B. Fleming as their first Youth Minister. While at Third Baptist, Dr. Whitaker continued winning young souls to Christ revitalizing their after school program, organizing lock-ins, leading large numbers of youth to the Lott Cary Foreign Missions conferences and conventions, annual youth revivals, annual summer camps that kept outgrowing itself.
While at Third Baptist, Dr. Whitaker was called into the pastoral ministry serving as a Methodist pastor in the Charlotte, NC area and Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Hood Theological Seminary. Returning back to the Tidewater area, Dr. Whitaker served as the first Assistant Pastor at First Baptist Church, Bute Street where Dr. Robert G. Murray is the senior pastor. Soon thereafter, Dr. Whitaker was called to Mount Hermon Baptist Temple as its senior pastor and served faithfully for twelve (12) years. While there, he ordained male and for the first time ever female deacons, constructed and built the Irving S. Waters Educational Building, and purchased land for an additional parking lot.
Dr. Whitaker broadened his professional scope and training by completing a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program with Sentara Hospital and began serving as a full-time chaplain at Sentara Obici Hospital, Suffolk, Virginia, where he most recently served for over six (6) stellar years. At Obici, he trained and expanded the Chaplaincy Program to associate and volunteer chaplains.
At the 118th Annual Session of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia in June, 2017, unanimously invited Dr. Leo Whitaker to serve as its third Executive Minister, and as of January 1, 2018, Dr. Leo Whitaker has returned to BGC as he believes the BGC is the place to be! At BGC, he leads over 1,075 Baptist churches, 29 associations, and BGC office staff to greater ministry.
Dr. Leo Whitaker has been married to Mrs. Cathy W. Whitaker, a public school counselor, since December 5, 1987, and together they have two sons, Yohance David and Adom Leo, both are honor graduates of Norfolk Academy and college graduates of the College of William and Mary. Their eldest son is a senior graduate student at the Samuel D. Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in hopes of going to law school while their youngest son who recently completed a year of medical research at the National Institute of Health, is currently enrolled in a graduate program at Virginia Commonwealth University, as it is his hope to attend medical school.
Dr. Whitaker firmly asserts that the Baptist General Convention of Virginia is the place to be and encourages its member churches and others to continue to love and support OUR convention! BGC IS THE PLACE TO BE!