FOR THE RIGHT TO BROADBAND ACCESS


The Center for Digital Equity at Queens University is working hard to make Charlotte the most digitally equitable community in America ... and the nation is taking note.


By Keith Pierce


anyone without a computer or internet access is at a disadvantage. In 2020, the digital divide in the United States was further exposed. When COVID-19 sped up the digital transformation, it became more apparent than ever that the internet was no longer a luxury. As schools shifted to remote learning and many businesses moved completely online, the pandemic revealed that technology is more of a public utility and that insufficient technology was a detriment to a functioning society. It also magnified the digital literacy crisis among older adults who were forced to adopt new technologies to facilitate simple tasks such as doctor visits and grocery shopping. Tese facts and more are what drive the work of the Center for Digital Equity (CDE) at Queens University of Charlotte. An evolution of two key community initiatives – Digital Charlotte and the Charlotte Digital Inclusion Alliance – CDE is fast becoming a national leader in tackling the digital divide. Launched by the Queens Knight School of Communication, Digital Charlotte was one of several school initiatives supported by an endowment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.


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or years, the world has known that


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