Connecting Black Communities
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks virtually hosted this event titled: “Connecting Black Communities: Federal, State, and Local Strategies for Closing the Digital Divide.”
This event featured 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 discussed 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.
The event convened federal leaders from the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Department of Commerce, the White House, and the FCC; state leaders from New York and Wisconsin; and local leaders from the cities of Chicago, Illinois and Augusta, Georgia.
Host
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
- Mitch Landrieu, Senior Advisor and White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator
- Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC
- Commissioner Brendan Carr, FCC
- Commissioner Nathan Simington, FCC
- Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator
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
Related Materials
- Commissioner Starks Remarks
- Speaker Videos:
- Starks Adds Landrieu as Speaker for Connecting Black Communities Event
- Starks Announces Connecting Black Communities Event
- Event Flyer
