At John Jay College, commitment to civic engagement and public service is at our core, and through our Emerging Leaders of Justice Series, our community engages with thought leaders and public policy makers. On February 20, New York State Assemblyman Robert J. Rodriguez took part in the series where he discussed different social justice topics including: education, affordable housing, expanding financial aid, the importance of civic engagement, and Census participation. “The commitment to social and criminal justice here at John Jay is palpable. Everyone at the College is working to make society better,” said Rodriguez. “I think it’s that drive to improve our society, and make not only our communities and our state a better place, but our world a fairer place, that keeps us going.”

Recognizing the Importance of Civic Engagement
Rodriguez, who grew up in Harlem and went to school in the Bronx, gave the audience insight into his upbringing and how seeing his parents get involved in the community and school system led to his interest in public service. “Growing up in East Harlem during the ’80s and ’90s was rough, there were major challenges in our community. We were up against the crack epidemic and increasing crime rates. But through it all, I saw firsthand what parental engagement and community engagement meant and the real difference you can have on your community when you’re involved,” he explained.

After returning home from college, Rodriguez saw how his neighborhood and the programming in schools had eroded, and he was determined to fix it. “Education has always been central and important to my life. Everything I’ve done comes from that solid foundation,” he said, noting he worked on the local level to ensure a quality education was available to the children in the community. “When you recognize that you have an opportunity to contribute positively to your community and that you can remove many of the barriers to success for those coming up after you, then you do it; you give back to your community and that’s what I’ve tried to do most of my life. I entered public service in order to have a greater, positive impact on my community.”

Making Sure Every New Yorker is Counted
As Chair of the New York State Assembly Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment, Rodriguez is working to advance efforts to ensure every New Yorker is counted in the upcoming Census 2020—the count begins March 12. With PSA’s from public officials and celebrities—like Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Lin-Manuel Miranda—the goal is to show not only how necessary completing the Census is but also how simple and safe the process will be. “This is going to be the first year where you can fill out the census form online. You can even do it by telephone. And, it’s confidential, meaning your information is protected and cannot be used to determine your eligibility for government benefits, and cannot be shared with immigration or law enforcement. Everybody counts, regardless of status,” said Rodriguez, understanding the worry some may have.

Emphasizing why it’s so important to be counted, Rodriguez touched upon what New Yorkers stand to lose if they go uncounted. “New York State receives billions of dollars each year in federal funding for our hospitals, public schools, transportation, Medicare, Medicaid, emergency services, WIC programs, and more,” he noted. “Each person not counted in the census is equal to a $2,600 loss in federal aid each year. So, an undercount of population leads to less funding for the programs and services that help our communities, as well as less congressional seats for New York. What that means is that there will be less representation for our communities in Washington, D.C. and those lost financial resources will be sent to other states that may not have our best interest at heart. It’s important to tell everyone you know about the census, to raise awareness, and to get counted.”

To support informed participation in our democracy, the College provides access to public officials in their official capacity and candidates without regard to political party affiliation or policy views. Views expressed are the speaker’s own and do not necessarily reflect the position of the College. See http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/legal_counsel/pol_activities_memo.pdf