U.S. Census data tells us so much about the health of our communities, but it is not easily digestible.
Enter Dr. John V. Moeser, former senior fellow of the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, who worked with students in the University’s Spatial Analysis Lab to visualize the complex numbers and figures of our region.
The result: Unpacking the Census, a presentation about poverty, race, and immigration in Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Goochland, Powhatan, Charles City, New Kent, and Hanover that has been presented by Moeser and other facilitators across Richmond. Facilitators were trained by Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, and the nonprofit organization, led by Jonathan Zur, ’03, worked to promote Unpacking the Census to a wide audience.
When Moeser retired in 2017, there was an outpouring of support from the community for his work, and the John V. Moeser Fellowship was established by the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement to ensure ongoing funding for University of Richmond faculty and students examining and addressing structural inequality in Richmond and census research.
“John Moeser is the conscience of our region, sharing research and data with the public to galvanize action to address pressing racial and socio-economic inequalities,” said Amy Howard, assistant vice president of community initiatives and the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement.