Senate Takes on Digital Divide
Feature Story by Michelle Russell - 3/4/2002
Washington, D.C.-On February 27th the Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space held a hearing regarding the "National Technology Instrumentation Challenge Act" (S.414).Introduced by Senator Max Cleland (D-GA) on February 28, 2001, S.414 seeks to bridge the digital divide that currently exists between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic institutions, and Tribal colleges and predominantly white institutions by creating a grant program within the Department of Commerce. This program would provide up to $250 million in grants for colleges and universities that are in need of funding for information technology. The money could be used for campus wiring, technology training, and equipment upgrades, among other activities.
In his opening statement, Senator Cleland cited a report recently released by the Secretary of Commerce entitled "A Nation On-Line: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet." This report includes an array of disturbing statistics, including the fact that while Internet usage among whites and Asian-Americans/Pacific Islanders is now above 60%, usage among African-Americans and Hispanics remained at a paltry 30%.
After citing several statistics from the report, Cleland stated that although overall access to the Internet has increased the current gap in access "could leave a whole generation behind."
Senator George Allen (R-VA), while agreeing that a “digital divide” exists, disagreed with Senator Cleland in his opening remarks. He charged that the factor separating Internet users who have access from those who don't is not race, but rather income. It is not an issue of "whites and Asians versus Blacks and Hispanics," Senator Allen stated. "Families with incomes of over $80,000 a year have a 70% user rate," he added before introducing the witnesses to testify at the hearing.
The witnesses appearing before the Subcommittee included Dr. Gerald Monette of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and the Turtlemountain Community College in North Dakota, Dr. Frederick S. Humphries, President and CEO of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, Dr. Louis Sullivan, President of the Morehouse School of Medicine and William H. Gray, III, President and CEO of the United Negro College Fund and Dr. Flores, representing Hispanic institutions.
All the witnesses testified to the inequalities caused by the digital divide and applauded the Subcommittee for its efforts to bridge the gap in access to and utilization of information technology.
"The ability to connect with the Broadband system is not within our (HCBU) capabilities. Our Internet connectivity is woefully inadequate," Dr. Humphries said. He explained that the funding provided in S. 414 would help HBCU's connect to the technological world.
Dr. Monette echoed Dr. Humphries: "Information technology represents a tremendous digital opportunity. [But] we cannot cross the schism that separates us [from the communications world]."
S.414 has been referred to the Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space where no further action has been taken at this time.
