So what’s the big deal? Well, not knowing why the Census is a big deal might be one reason why you haven’t filled it out yet (because you probably got it in the mail already!).

With all the commercials, and that catchphrase you’ve no doubt heard by now (“We can’t move forward until you mail it back”), it may even bring back memories of all the campaigns from the last presidential election.

If you don’t understand its significance or if you just want more information, you can watch “Be Counted: Black America & The 2010 Census” this Sunday at 12 PM/11C. Nas is hosting it and he’ll help break down why this year’s Census is so important for us.

We could get into the many ways the Census info is used by the government, but one thing that’s important to us is the more than $400 billion of federal funding that’s spent on infrastructure and services like:

Hospitals

Job Training Centers

Schools

Senior Citizen Centers

Bridges and Tunnels

Emergency Services

Does your ‘hood need attention in any of those areas? The reason why the Census is so important and why you keep hearing about it is because it determines things like these necessary resources.

It may seem boring to fill out the form, or you may think you don’t understand it or it won’t really affect anything. So tune in to get the facts you need to know, and be heard.

Don’t forget: “Be Counted: Black America & The 2010 Census,” this Sunday at 12 PM/11C.

Get more from BET on the Census now.