Digital Redlining: How Communities of Color are Left Behind in the Digital Age
Image Source: Rhodes University
“Just Google it.”
Whether it’s a matter of genuine curiosity or an impending homework problem set due the next day, whenever you have a question - Google has an answer.
But what happens when we take Google out of the equation?
What happens when we remove the Internet?
The internet has revolutionized the way we live, work, and communicate. With just a few clicks, we can access an endless array of information, connect with people across the globe, and engage in online activities that were once unimaginable.
However, not everyone has access to this new form of revolution. For communities of color, the digital divide brings forth a lack of access: limiting their connection, both literally and figuratively, to technology and consequently the opportunities this access affords.
The digital divide refers to the disparity in access to technology and the internet between different groups, especially the poor, rural, elderly, and differently-abled portions of the population. According to the Federal Communications Commission, over 21 million Americans lack access to broadband internet - most of whom are people of color (PoC) in low-income communities. However, this gap in access is not merely an issue of convenience but rather one of equity.
The effects of the digital divide on communities of color are profound. By limiting access to information, it continues to perpetuate systemic inequality in terms of education, healthcare, and civic engagement.
This limited access to information and opportunities exacerbates existing inequalities - most recently catalyzed by COVID-19.
In terms of education, during the COVID-19 pandemic, students who lacked access to technology and the internet struggled to keep up with online learning, widening the gap between those who could afford to keep up and those who could not. According to the Pew Research Center, nearly half of all parents with lower incomes say it is very likely or somewhat likely their children would have to do schoolwork on a cell phone (43 percent), 40% percent reported the same likelihood of their child having to use public WiFi to finish schoolwork because there is not a reliable Internet connection at home, and around one-third (36 percent) said it is at least somewhat likely their children would not be able to complete schoolwork because they do not have access to a computer at home. These numbers released in April 2020 invited a new term to be coined “the homework divide.” High-poverty districts - districts with more than 75 percent low-income student population - consequently fell behind in terms of test scores and learning time lost. Stanford education professor Sean Reardon and Harvard economist Thomas Kane put together a map showing how many years of learning the average student in each district had lost since 2019. Their project, the Education Recovery Scorecard, compared results from a test known as the “nation’s report card” with local standardized test scores from 29 states and Washington, D.C. According to the analysis, in Memphis, Tennessee, where nearly 80% of students are below the poverty line, “students lost the equivalent of 70% of a school year in reading and more than a year in math. The district’s Black students lost a year-and-one-third in math and two-thirds of a year in reading.” Communities of color in low-income areas suffered the worst from the pandemic in terms of education.
Concerning healthcare, as doctor’s appointments shifted to telehealth visits, communities of color who were most impacted by the pandemic, were unable to get connected. These communities have higher rates of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths, and are also more likely to have underlying health conditions that require ongoing medical care. The inability to access telehealth visits has made it more difficult for them to receive the medical attention they need in a safe manner. Those most in need of medical assistance were also those who were mostly unable to obtain it.
Lastly, the digital divide reinforces racial and socioeconomic segregation. In many communities of color, access to technology and the internet is limited due to the lack of infrastructure and resources, which perpetuates a cycle of poverty and inequality. This lack of access can also result in a lack of political representation, as many political campaigns and initiatives are conducted online. According to another study done by the Pew Research Center, 71% of Americans get some percentage of their political news from social media. As a consequence, many political campaigns allocated large sums of their budget to digital campaigns - completely neglecting folks who aren’t in the digital age. Over 40 of the US states offer online voter registration. Again, creating barriers to being politically active if one does not have broadband access.
To address the digital divide and its impact on communities of color, we must prioritize equitable access to technology and the Internet. This means investing in infrastructure and resources to expand broadband access to underserved areas through government-subsidized internet, supporting initiatives that increase digital literacy and education in the for-profit and non-profit world, and partnering with community organizations to bridge the gap in terms of accessibility.
In a world where information is power, those without access remain powerless.
It’s time to make power more accessible.
References
Anderson, M., & Perrin, A. (2020, April 30). 53% of Americans Say the Internet Has Been Essential During the COVID-19 Outbreak. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/04/30/53-of-americans-say-the-internet-has-been-essential-during-the-covid-19-outbreak/
Atteberry, A., McEachin, A., & Wu, Y. (2020, September 10). The Digital Divide Among Students During COVID-19: Who Has Access? Who Doesn't? Center on Reinventing Public Education. https://crpe.org/the-digital-divide-among-students-during-covid-19-who-has-access-who-doesnt/
"Coronavirus infection by race: Non-Hispanic Black or African Americans." Mayo Clinic. Accessed April 24, 2023. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/expert-answers/coronavirus-infection-by-race/faq-20488802#:~:text=Non%2DHispanic%20Black%20or%20African,a%20part%20in%20poor%20health.
"Digital Divide." Merriam-Webster. Accessed April 24, 2023. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/digital%20divide.
Jacobson, R. (2020, September 10). COVID-19 pandemic massively set back learning, especially for high-poverty areas. PBS NewsHour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/covid-19-pandemic-massively-set-back-learning-especially-for-high-poverty-areas
Pew Research Center. "More than Eight-in-Ten Americans Get News from Digital Devices." Accessed April 24, 2023. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/01/12/more-than-eight-in-ten-americans-get-news-from-digital-devices/.
Roberts, E. (n.d.). The Digital Divide. Stanford University. https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs181/projects/digital-divide/start.html
"States with Online Voter Registration." American Civil Liberties Union. Accessed April 24, 2023. https://www.aclu.org/issues/voting-rights/promoting-access-ballot/states-online-voter-registration.