Date/Time
Date(s) - 09/09/2021
12:00 AM
Location
Reitz Union Grand Ballroom
Categories
Our event is free and open to all – student, faculty, staff and the community. Attendees can participate in-person or virtually online.
America has spent billions of dollars to close the gap between the broadband haves and have nots. What do we have to show for it? Very little: According to Pew Research, 20% of US households do not have broadband. Minorities are 15% less likely to have broadband in their homes than are whites, and are 75% more likely to be dependent on smartphones for internet access. COVID-19 has magnified the effects of this gap on children’s education and minorities’ abilities to make a living. What will America do?
Mignon Clyburn, a former Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, has made closing this gap a priority throughout her career. During her nine years with the FCC, Ms. Clyburn advocated for marginalized people by working to close the digital divide, modernizing programs for making broadband affordable, championing diversity in media ownership, and pressing for a free and open internet. As Congress and the Joe Biden Administration consider spending $100 billion to address digital disparities, Ms. Clyburn will explain what it will take for the US to see real results. UF’s Digital Markets Initiative and the Graham Center for Public Service are excited to welcome Ms. Clyburn to campus to discuss these important issues and to challenge students and faculty to provide the leadership that is needed for true progress.
Our event is open to all – UF students, faculty, staff and the community. Registration is required for both in-person and online attendance options. A lunch will be provided to in-person attendees at no charge, but seating is limited. A link will be provided to remote attendees via email prior to the program.