2021 Charles Benton Digital Equity Champion Award

A sign in front of a church not far from my home has for the past many months read: “We’ll get through this together by staying apart.” As Spring is here and we awaken from more than a year of social distancing, we gather today to celebrate the people who helped their communities come together. Named for Charles Benton, the founding father of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, the digital equity awards I present today recognize leadership and dedication in advancing the ability of all of us to fully participate in our increasingly digital society by ensuring everyone has the access and skills they need to make use of the internet. Our months combatting COVID-19 have only spotlighted this reality.