This article continues our series on BBOC member organizations. Look for more over the next few weeks!
Through the Broadband Opportunity Coalition (BBOC) and partnering with One Economy, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) is helping to tackle the 14-percentage point gap in home broadband adoption between White and Hispanic households that exists after controlling for other socio-economic and geographic factors.
As the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, NCLR diligently advocates for the civil rights of Hispanic Americans through research, policy analysis, and a network of almost 300 affiliate community organizations in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
On April 26, 2010, the BBOC and One Economy Corporation received a $28.5 million stimulus award under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to facilitate broadband adoption and help close the digital divide. Coupled with private sector matching partnerships, the total amount that will be invested in broadband initiatives to improve the lives of low-income and underserved communities is $51.5 million.
This award will allow NCLR and the other leading civil rights organizations to develop and conduct a national broadband awareness campaign that will reach 20 million people and implement One Economy’s Digital Connectors program, which trains at-risk youth in digital literacy so that they can then train members of their community. Increasing awareness and digital literacy will in turn increase broadband adoption.
As Janet Murguia, NCLR President and CEO stated in the award press release, “Together, the BBOC and One Economy are fortifying our communities with the knowledge and resources they need to improve their lives.…Our Coalition’s focus on youth and engagement with community-based nonprofits will ensure that our initiatives reach out to those who need it the most.”
Jacqueline Clary is the John W. Jones Fellow at the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council. In this position, she focuses on a variety of policy issues to advance minority participation in the media and telecommunications industries. Ms. Clary earned her B.A. from John Carroll University, her J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law, and is a member of the New York State Bar.
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