To Climb Without a Ladder

As a result of COVID-19, over 300,000 University System of Georgia students have returned home to finish their courses online. Now more than ever, I have realized the great digital divide in our state, and because of it, high-achieving students, particularly in rural Georgia, are suffering immensely. It is imperative that we all seek to use the anti-deficit perspective for the sake of students. While 1.6 million Georgians do not have reliable access to the Internet and funding for rural broadband is still based upon flawed mapping by the Federal Communications Commission, we must realize that every student does not have the means to succeed academically. A system that instructs students to “reach higher” without ensuring all students have sufficient access to the necessary resources is utterly broken. It is analogous to telling students to climb without offering a ladder first. Now is a critical moment for our state. Our failure to act could have detrimental consequences, and I fear that it will only worsen disparities, especially in rural areas. We have a choice. Will we create a system that sets Georgians up for success, or will we continue to allow privilege to perpetuate inequity, especially in the rural parts of our state?

[A native of Baxley, Georgia, Briana Hayes is a third-year student at the University of Georgia. She is health promotion major and plans on attending law school after graduating. Among her leadership roles at UGA, Briana has founded an organization for rural students called RISE.]