Free computers give families access to Internet, more opportunitiesBY STARLA VAUGHNS CHERIN
FLORIDA COURIER
In an effort to narrow the digital divide, a non-profit consumer advocacy organization recently helped 100 South Florida families and two Dade County public schools by donating personal computers and free Internet access.
The Alliance for Digital Equality (ADE) refurbished 200 Hewlett Packard Compaq DC5750 desktop computers and presented 50 to Miami Northwestern Senior High in Liberty City and 50 to Maya Angelou Elementary in Allapatah during Super Bowl week. In addition, computers went to 100 children who attend the Overtown Youth Center in Black Miami’s historic Overtown neighborhood.
The digital divide is most commonly defined as the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology and those with limited or no access.
Whelan Technologies provided Internet access for the 200 computers donated in South Florida. Participants included radio personality Tom Joyner; former Miami Heat player and community activist Alonzo Mourning; Bill Diggs, director of the Miami Dade Chamber of Commerce; Miami Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho, along with Julius Hollis, founder and CEO of the Alliance for Digital Equality.
Little home accessFounded in 2007, ADE works to facilitate and ensure equal access to technology in underserved communities. Hollis asserts that access to affordable broadband and Wi-Fi technologies is essential to keeping America competitive with the world.
Five years ago, a study found that 80 percent of African-American children ages 9 to 17 accessed the Internet from school compared with 16 percent who had access at home.
At a minimum cost of $50 a month, Internet access is hardly affordable to families as evidenced in the study, called African-Americans and the Digital Divide. Thirty-five percent of adults in the low-income bracket have Internet access compared with 53 percent of the lower middle bracket, 79 percent of the upper middle bracket and 83 percent of the top bracket.
Food and lights trump computerOvertown Youth Center Executive Director Carla Penn finds the statistics about the digital divide ring true today.
"None of these children have computers at home. We all know that computers are expensive and a lot of families just cannot afford one. If they have a computer, they do not have connectivity. That is another monthly bill," she told the Florida Courier.
"Trying to keep the lights on and feed their children in our urban communities – we don’t have the flexibility or cash to support this. Most kids use the computer at school or at the library, but when school is closed or the library is not close to them, they don’t have access.’’
Councils study local accessADE’s goal is to educate Americans about the benefits of new broadband technologies and be a voice of underserved communities to raise awareness of the importance of new technologies regardless of socioeconomic status.
"To me it translates into providing economic development," Hollis told the Florida Courier. "The digital revolution provides this country and communities of color the opportunity to achieve economic equality.
The organization has set up Digital Empowerment Councils in some major cities around the country. The councils study the impact of broadband access on the local communities in the areas of civic participation, public health, public safety, education and urban and economic development. Miami is the only Florida city thus far with a council.
Technology enhances skillsHollis said the ADE often comes in contact with families, especially during this weak economy, that can’t consider a computer because of the need to put food on the table or get health care.
"The paradox is as the economy begins to deteriorate it forces people out of the mainstream of society and the digital divide does the same thing," he explained. "Theoretically, if we aren’t assertive in increasing digital advocacy we can end up with a situation with 50 million disenfranchised from this new world economic order.
"In the next decade, our kids are stacking up and competing not just with kids in Liberty City or South Beach but those in the Far East, Mubi Nigeria and Europe. It is imperative that American kids become stronger in science and math. They can use digital technology to enhance the skills needed to compete internationally," Hollis added.
Georgia provides online tutorsHe’s putting theories in practice in Georgia’s Clayton County Public School system where ADE’s project Learning Without Walls provides tutorial services to 50,000 students through live online tutors.
"From 4:30 to 9 p.m., students can receive help in science, math and other school work. We worked out a curriculum based on the needs of the school system. We vet the online tutors and we provide the computer Internet connectivity."
As unemployment continues to escalate nationwide, its numbers quadruple in African-American and minority communities. Hollis says that computers, access to new digital technologies and training will enable people to construct new job skills and careers.
A means to better jobs"We have to reset job-related skills of American workers so they will have gainful employment. Workforce development is essential with high unemployment rates in the traditional industries, especially for Black and Latino workers at 16 to 18 percent, and some of these jobs will never come back," Hollis added.
"There will be jobs to digitalize medical records and small businesses using the Internet to generate new business. That is why it’s even more important to make sure that broadband remains affordable.’’
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