New research says previously collected census data around volunteerism in Chicago doesn’t include the wide range of community organizing in the city, oftentimes leaving out the work of Black, Latino and working-class people. BlackVoicesWTTW
Volunteering has declined in Chicago from 2009 to 2019, according to data from the U.S. census. However, a team of researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago says that’s not the full picture.
New research says previously collected data doesn’t include the wide range of community organizing in the city, oftentimes leaving out the work of Black, Latino and working-class people. Informal support networks or public meeting attendance wouldn’t be included in those surveys.
For example, the racial gaps in volunteering rates would change if the U.S. Census Current Population Survey considered attending public meetings in their data. The White-Black gap would shrink from 11.9% to 2.6%. The White-Latino gap would reverse from 12.3% to a negative 1.6%. Kennedy Bartley, senior legislative director with United Working Families, pointed to community organizing work like coming to City Council for public comment or the successful effort from young Black and Latino people to vote out former Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez over her handling of Laquan McDonald’s case.