By John Payton

Dear Friends,

Some of you may receive two forms from the Census Bureau this year: the 2010 Census form and the American Community Survey. Every household should have received the 2010 Census form last week.

The American Community Survey, a longer form, is only delivered to a random sample of addresses and asks for more detailed information about the household than the ten-question census form.

If you receive both forms from the Census Bureau, they each need your response.

The questions on the American Community Survey intend to capture more details about your household to have a better understanding of what your community is like. Answering the detailed questions on the longer form helps expose many of the problems and disparities that are seen in your community but remain unknown to others.

Ultimately, the information from the American Community Survey helps organizations like the Legal Defense Fund push for greater equality and enforce civil rights laws. If people in your community are having a hard time finding a job after a layoff or unfairly paying more for their mortgage, the American Community Survey can help expose the problem and help efforts to identify a solution.

With such an important role to play, it may seem strange that some people are unwilling to provide answers to the detailed questions. This is the wrong approach.

When it comes to the Census, the details do matter. This is particularly true because of the impact of race in our country. To truly rid America of racial discrimination we must expose the problem of how that discrimination impacts the ability to achieve the American dream. The American Community Survey can help expose the American experience across racial lines by collecting data concerning everything from graduation rates to car and home ownership.

Your voice matters, and the 2010 Census and American Community Survey are your chance to tell your story. Complete your 2010 Census form and mail it back.

And if you received an American Community Survey, complete it and mail it back as well. While the process may be a bit longer, the information is critical to understanding the experiences of the people who live in the United States.

Let’s make sure we make our voices count in 2010. Change counts on you!

To learn more about the Census visit the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s 2010 Census website.

John Payton is President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc.