Connecting Black Communities: Federal, State, and Local Strategies for Closing the Digital Divide

This event will feature remarks and a subsequent panel to highlight the impact of the digital divide on Black communities and plans to promote and enroll households in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Additionally, panelists will discuss how households will benefit from the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) as well as additional state and local efforts to get families connected to and equipped with broadband, devices, and digital skills.

Moderator:

Dr. Fallon Wilson, Vice President of Policy, Multicultural Media, Telecom, & Internet Council

Speakers:

• Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, U.S. House of Representatives
• Secretary Gina Raimondo, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC
• Commissioner Brendan Carr, FCC
• Commissioner Nathan Simington, FCC Panelists:
• Mandela Barnes, Lieutenant Governor, State of Wisconsin
• Brian Benjamin, Lieutenant Governor, State of New York
• Lori Lightfoot, Mayor, City of Chicago, Illinois
• Hardie Davis Jr., Mayor, City of Augusta, Georgia
• Scott Woods, Director of the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives, NTIA