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Bridging Florida’s Digital Divide for the Next Generation

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Lawmakers in Tallahassee and state capitals elsewhere will be coming under pressure from an assortment of constituencies seeking portions of the federal BEAD funding. But it is imperative that state leaders in Florida and elsewhere to ensure that BEAD funds are deployed in broadband deserts, particularly those where too many HBCUs are located. That would ensure more Americans have a bright economic future and the next generation is prepared to compete in the digital economy.
The post Bridging Florida’s Digital Divide for the Next Generation first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

August 9, 2023

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By Rev. Dr. R. B. Holmes

The nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have a rich and storied history dating back to 1837, when the Cheyney University of Pennsylvania was established as the first HBCU. Today, there are 107 HBCUs — institutions that have graduated 50 percent of Black lawyers, 40 percent of Black engineers, 40 percent of Black Congressmembers – and, of course, the first female Vice President. Yet, they comprise a mere 3 percent of American colleges and universities. Despite their celebrated history and societal contributions, HBCUs have been underfunded for decades, leaving them without the resources that non-HBCUs possess, including crucially important high speed internet infrastructure.

An astounding 82 percent of HBCUs are in so-called broadband deserts, regions that lack fast and reliable internet access. This impacts students’ ability to properly and timely complete assignments, take care of everyday needs, and continue to develop important digital skills. The need for HBCUs to be on equal digital footing has become even more critical as many experts are expecting an influx of students in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision barring the use of race as a factor in college admissions. Morehouse College, for example, anticipates a 50 to 100 percent increase in applications by 2026.

It’s important for Black college students to have a grasp on digital skills even before they set foot on an HBCU campus, but the “digital divide” is likely to have already set them back. Nationwide, only 65 percent of Hispanics and 71 percent of Blacks have internet service of any kind in their homes, compared to 80 percent of whites. The “digital divide” for Black Americans is equally pronounced in urban and rural areas. Urban whites are more than twice as likely to have high speed internet than urban Blacks. In the rural South, the same split is 77 percent to 62 percent.

The need for high-speed internet access will only continue to grow in coming years. Studies already show a correlation between broadband access and household income, and experts suggest that bridging the digital divide will promote social mobility and economic equality. As the economy continues to modernize, the need for digital skills will only increase.

State lawmakers around the country have an opportunity to build that bridge, including in my home state in Florida where an estimated 508,000 Blacks and 641,000 Hispanics lack access to high-speed internet. The federal Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program will distribute $42.5 billion to states — including a forecasted $2.3 billion for Florida — to promote high-speed internet access through a variety of measures. In addition to improving broadband infrastructure, the funding — which is expected to be distributed in 2024 or 2025 — will be put toward making high-speed internet more affordable and easier to access where the infrastructure already exists.

Lawmakers in Tallahassee and state capitals elsewhere will be coming under pressure from an assortment of constituencies seeking portions of the federal BEAD funding. But it is imperative that state leaders in Florida and elsewhere to ensure that BEAD funds are deployed in broadband deserts, particularly those where too many HBCUs are located. That would ensure more Americans have a bright economic future and the next generation is prepared to compete in the digital economy.

If my home state is any measure, it is vitally important for state leaders to take action at a time when many do not share in some of the nation’s economic success. In Florida, for example, the state is making positive economic progress, but U.S. Census data shows that Black Floridians’ household income in 2022 was 30 percent less than the household income of white Floridians and fell far short of the national average. More than 20 percent of Black Floridians live under the poverty line, compared to just 13 percent of all Floridians and 14 percent of all Americans. Black Floridians are also more likely to be unemployed, with the Black unemployment rate in the state sitting at nearly four percent compared to just 2.6 percent overall.

State leaders have a sudden federal windfall to confront an inequity – the digital divide – that is deepening social and economic challenges like those we see in Florida. They must move now to quickly deliver these resources to the communities that need them most – those that have been excluded too long.

Rev. Dr. R. B. Holmes, Jr., is the pastor of the historic Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, located in the heart of downtown Tallahassee, Florida’s Frenchtown community. He is president of Live Communications and owner/publisher of the Capital Outlook newspaper and WTAL Radio AM. He is also president of the Tallahassee Chapter of the National Action Network and the National Save the Family Now, Movement, Inc., which he also founded.

The post Bridging Florida’s Digital Divide for the Next Generation first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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LIVE from the NMA Convention Raheem DeVaughn Says The Time Is Now: Let’s End HIV in Our Communities #2

Set against the backdrop of the NMA conference, Executive Officers from the National Medical Association, Grammy Award Winning Artist and Advocate Raheem DeVaughn, and Gilead Sciences experts, are holding today an important conversation on HIV prevention and health equity. Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event […]

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event is designed to uplift voices, explore barriers to access, and increase awareness and key updates about PrEP, a proven prevention method that remains underutilized among Black women. This timely gathering will feature voices from across health, media, and advocacy as we break stigma and center equity in HIV prevention.

Additional stats and information to know:

● Black women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, with Black women representing more than 50% of new HIV diagnoses among women in the U.S. in 2022, despite comprising just 13% of women in the U.S.

● Women made up only 8% of PrEP users despite representing 19% of all new HIV diagnoses in 2022.

● Gilead Sciences is increasing awareness and addressing stigma by encouraging regular HIV testing and having judgment-free conversations with your healthcare provider about prevention options, including oral PrEP and long-acting injectable PrEP options.

● PrEP is an HIV prevention medication that has been available since 2012.

● Only 1 in 3 people in the U.S. who could benefit from PrEP were prescribed a form of PrEP in 2022.

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TRUMP: “Washington, D.C. is Safe”

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

By Apriil Ryan
BlackPressUSA Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent

“Washington, D.C. is safe,” President Trump declared from the Oval Office today. Those words came while Trump was hosting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the question-and-answer session, which primarily focused on a peace deal in the Russian-Ukrainian war, Trump explained, “You did that in four days.” He was speaking of how fast the National Guard quelled the violence in what was once called Chocolate City.

The President deployed the National Guard to D.C. a week ago, to a city with reduced crime rates over the previous year. Violent crime dropped by 26%, marking the lowest level in 30 years. Homicides also fell by 11%.

President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Trump reinforced his claim about the newly acquired safety in D.C. by relaying that a friend’s son is attending dinner in D.C., something he would not have done last year.

After the president finished his comments, a reporter/commentator in the room with close connections to Marjorie Taylor Greene jumped into the high-level conversation to affirm the president’s comments, saying, “I walked around yesterday with MTG. If you can walk around D.C. with MTG and not be attacked, this city is safe.”

That reporter was the same person who chastised President Zelenskyy months ago during his first Oval Office meeting with Trump for not wearing a business suit. Zelenskyy, a wartime President, has been clad in less formal attire to reflect the country’s current war stance against Russia.

Without any sourcing, President Trump also said, “People that haven’t gone out to dinner in Washington, D.C., in two years are going out to dinner, and the restaurants the last two days have been busier than they’ve been in a long time.”

The increase in policing in Washington, D.C. is because a 19-year-old former Doge employee was carjacked in the early hours of the morning recently.

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Rising Energy Costs Weigh Heaviest on Black Households

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

A new national study from Binghamton University and California State University, San Bernardino, finds that Black households spend a far larger share of their income on energy compared to white households, even when income levels are the same. “We often say that African Americans suffer more, but we often blame it just on income. And the reality is, there is something more there,” study author George Homsy, associate professor at Binghamton University, wrote. “It’s not just because they tend to be poor. There is something that’s putting them at a disadvantage. I think what happened is it happens to be where they live.” The study, published in Energy Research & Social Science, analyzed 65,000 census tracts across the United States. It found that while the average American household spends about 3.2% of income on energy bills, households in the majority African American census tracts spend an average of 5.1%.

Homsy and researcher Ki Eun Kang point to the age and condition of housing stock, along with lower homeownership rates, as key drivers. Their research concludes that “energy burden is not simply a matter of income or energy cost but also race, which might be driven by place.” Older, less energy-efficient housing and high rental rates in Black communities mean residents often cannot make upgrades like improved insulation or new appliances, locking families into higher bills.

Tradeoffs and Health Risks

The consequences go beyond money. Families forced to spend 10% or more of their income on energy — what experts classify as “unmanageable” — may cut back on food, medicine, or other essentials. More than 12 million U.S. households report leaving their homes at unsafe temperatures to reduce costs, while millions more fall behind on utility bills. The health effects are severe. High energy burdens increase risks of asthma, depression, poor sleep, pneumonia, and even premature death. The issue is especially acute for African Americans, who are disproportionately exposed to housing and environmental conditions that amplify these risks.

Washington, D.C.: A Case Study

In Washington, D.C., the problem is particularly stark. A recent analysis by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) shows that SNAP-eligible households spend more than 20% of their income on energy bills. Across the metro area, nearly two-thirds of low-income households devote over 6% of their income to energy, and 40% face what researchers call a “severe financial strain,” paying more than 10%. Pepco, the District’s primary electricity provider, has implemented three consecutive annual rate hikes, pushing the average household bill to $114 per month as of January 2025. Shutoffs have followed — nearly 12,000 customers lost service in 2024, with disconnections doubling after a summer rate hike. Washington Gas has also sought a 12% rate increase and pushed a controversial $215 million pipeline replacement project, rebranded as “District SAFE.” The plan could ultimately cost D.C. households an additional $45,000 each over several decades, or nearly $1,000 annually added to bills.

Historical Roots

Researchers argue that these inequities are not accidental but rooted in history. The ScienceDirect study reveals that African American communities living in formerly redlined neighborhoods continue to face disadvantages today — from poor housing quality to higher climate risks. Homsy says policymakers must make targeted efforts. “It is harder to get to rental units where a lot of poor people live,” he noted. “We need to work harder to get into these communities of color.”