Recent federal and state investments in broadband infrastructure open the possibility for innovative approaches to connecting Black and Brown people to the internet.
Watch the Michelson 20MM Foundation’s September 23, 2021, webinar for “Race and Digital Inequity: The Impact on Poor Communities of Color.”
Full blog post on 20MM.org.
Digital Inequity in the Black Community: Someday, ‘Things Are Gonna Get Easier’
Redlining has perpetuated systemic inequities in the United States for nearly a hundred years, causing multigenerational impacts that have historically marginalized Black, brown, and indigenous communities into poverty. Digital redlining is no exception as it denies poor communities of color access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunity, while simultaneously limiting their ability to actively engage in our democracy. Among the hardest hit are Black communities.
Across the country, Black Americans are less likely to own a computer and have access to the internet than their white counterparts. For adults, this means an inability to search for jobs, apply for unemployment, or access other public social services. For children and youth, it results in an inability to attend virtual schooling, complete assignments, and pursue growth opportunities, such as internships and online courses.
Digital redlining directly contributes to economic discrimination as industry leaders prioritize building faster, cheaper, more reliable internet in wealthy communities knowing they will obtain larger profits despite the fact that poor communities are left unserved or with antiquated and slow internet connections. Beyond discrimination, digital redlining undeniably exacerbates the insidious public health crisis that poor communities of color have been dealing with even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more about digital inequity in the Black-American community here.