Black Churches 4 Digital Equity (BC4DE), a nationwide movement of Black church leaders mobilizing to close the digital divide in Black communities, will organize a National Day of Action on Sept. 24, 2022, to help enroll eligible community members in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
A full list of all participating churches nationwide is available at blackchurches4digitalequity.com/events.
Approximately 29% of Black adults nationwide don’t have a home internet connection. The ACP, created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, offers a $30 monthly subsidy to help families in need buy home internet service—enough to cover the full cost of high-speed service from participating ISPs including AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, T-Mobile, Verizon, and more than a dozen others. Participants can also receive a one-time $100 subsidy to help buy a computer or tablet.
An estimated 48 million households are eligible for the ACP—yet fewer than one-third have enrolled. BC4DE’s Day of Action, taking place simultaneously in 30 cities, will raise awareness of the ACP’s benefits while helping eligible families to sign up.
“Long before the pandemic highlighted our nation’s digital divide, Black churches have worked to expand internet connectivity and provide educational opportunities for adults. Many churches were among the vanguard in establishing computer labs for parishioners and members of the public. Working to get every member of our church communities connected to home internet is a continuation of this legacy,” said Dr. Fallon Wilson, VP of Policy at the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) and lead organizer of the BC4DE Coalition.
In addition, the BC4DE Coalition believes Black churches and other multi-faith nonprofits should be designated as Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs) at the state level to help Black communities gain the connectivity, tools and skills needed to take full advantage of digital opportunities for advancement. Join the BC4DE Coalition in take action today to demand your State Broadband Office includes Black churches and Black church nonprofits in its digital equity plan: www.blackchurches4digitalequity.com/take-action.
About Black Churches 4 Digital Equity
BC4DE is a nationwide movement of Black church leaders working to educate members of our community about broadband internet assistance programs, encourage unconnected households to get online, to train and organize leaders as advocates to get their communities connected and advance digital equity. Our national coalition of 25 Black churches and Black church nonprofit organizations collectively touch more than 500,000 people weekly. BC4DE is organized by the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC), a leading public interest tech organization that has fought for equal access and representation in tech, media, and telecommunications since its founding in 1986. Visit www.mmtconline.org.
