SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Dikembe Mutombo, former NBA player and activist, has been chosen by the U.S. Census as a National Profile Partner.  In his role, he will work with the Census and create outreach strategies to increase overall participation in the Census among African and African-American communities and also utilize the Census information for outreach projects to improve the quality of life for the people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  The Dikembe Mutombo Foundation is dedicated to equality and empowerment for all people, with a focus on those in the Congo.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100226/CL61698 )

Mutombo's role as a National Profile Partner will be twofold: to speak to African audiences and communicate the importance of the Census and being counted; and to demonstrate the connection between the Census and support for other communities, including the Congo and other African countries.  Mutombo also will act as a spokesperson for the Census and will integrate U.S. Census information on the Foundation's website which currently boasts thousands of visitors per week.  

"An accurate Census means that communities will have the necessary organizations to service its people," said Mutombo.  "That's why it is important for everyone to be counted, even those of us who are from Africa and other countries.  If we want to take advantage of what our community has to offer, we need to be counted as well."

According to the 2000 Census, the number of Africans living in the United States reached 881,300, which comprised almost three percent of the total foreign-born population.  That number is expected to continue to rise in the 2010 Census count.  

The Dikembe Mutombo Foundation

The Dikembe Mutombo Foundation is dedicated to improving the health, education and quality of life for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Foundation strives to accomplish this goal through an emphasis on primary health care and disease prevention, the promotion of health policy, health research and increased access to health care education for the people of the Congo.  For more information, visit www.dmf.org.

U.S. Census

The 2010 Census is the largest peacetime operation conducted by the federal government and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution for the reapportionment of congressional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.  The Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution.  Census data are used to distribute congressional seats to states and to allocate more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year. The 2010 Census questionnaire will be one of the shortest in history, consisting of 10 questions and taking about 10 minutes to complete.  For more information, visit 2010.census.gov

SOURCE U.S. Census