The Association for a Better New York Hosts In-Person Flash Mob and Census-Taking Event in Times Square

The Association for a Better New York (ABNY), community organizers, census advocates and professional dancers will come together to host a free, live, in-person flash mob dance and census-taking event on Wednesday, September 23rd at 1 p.m. in Duffy Square. Community organizers will begin census-taking between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.

With the self-response period of the census likely ending on September 30th, ABNY is calling upon 100 New Yorkers to safely remind everyone to fill out their census and celebrate the diversity of New York City through dance. The performers will be six feet apart and wearing face coverings for protection. The day's celebration will not only encourage New Yorkers to complete their census forms, but will serve as a tribute to a still active and exciting New York City, by taking place in Times Square where still, more than 90,000 pedestrians visit each day.

In addition to the live flash mob performance, ABNY is partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau in their Mobile Questionnaire Assistance (MQA) program to assist people in self-responding to the 2020 Census. Local census response representatives will be onsite to help attendees complete their census form on a 2020 Census tablet or on their own device, while practicing state and local social distancing protocols. All census workers have been trained in social distancing protocols and issued personal protective equipment, to be worn during MQA support. Hand sanitizer and masks will also be available onsite.

The event is held in partnership with Times Square Alliance, NYC Census 2020, New York City Council, New York Counts 2020, Central Labor Council, and United Way as part of New York City's Census Week of Action "Countdown to Our Future" to make sure that everyone gets counted, whether electronically, online, or in-person.