As Congress dithers, private organizations step up to bridge digital divide

Even as lawmakers in Washington advance both of President Biden’s signature proposals to strengthen and expand America’s social safety net, it is doing conspicuously little to address one of the more pressing issues facing low-income communities of color across the country: a lack of access to affordable and reliable broadband internet. First, we need to make high-speed internet available to everyone, everywhere — no matter where they live or who they are. Second, we need to make the internet affordable. No one should be priced out of the future — or the present. Third, we need to democratize access to the hardware and software people need to take full advantage of the internet’s capabilities. Fourth, we need a maintenance ecosystem — digital educators, designers, repair workers, and accessibility consultants — to ensure improvements last long into the future. This can create jobs too. If we achieve these goals, we could end the vicious cycle of digital poverty.

[Jeremy White is a former special assistant for the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and a national diversity advocate.]