You can find a PDF of this press release here
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For Immediate Release
Contact: Brittany-Rae Gregory
brittany-rae@nextcenturycities.org
March 7, 2024
Washington, D.C. (March 7, 2024) – In 2021, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced the launch of the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program (“CMC”), which provided a record $268 million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (“HBCUs”), Tribal Colleges and Universities (“TCUs”), and Minority Serving Institutions (“MSIs”). In Brick by Brick: HBCUs Are Using the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program to Fortify the Communities That They Serve, Next Century Cities’ Communications Director Brittany-Rae Gregory highlights how the HBCUs in the pilot program plan are using their funds to impact the students, faculty, staff, and residents in the communities that they serve.
Brittany-Rae Gregory, Next Century Cities’ Communications Director, remarked:
“Many Historically Black Colleges and Universities are community anchor institutions and 82% of those HBCUs are located in broadband deserts. These factors make them uniquely situated to help tackle the digital divide using a culturally-relevant perspective. In Brick by Brick, readers will learn more about how HBCUs are adapting their community-centered missions to address their twenty-first century needs.”
Andy Stutzman, Next Century Cities’ Executive Director, noted:
“As anchor institutions, universities have an obligation to the communities they reside in. Brick by Brick highlights the rich tradition of service that HBCUs hold and the impact they have had through digital inclusion programs. Digital equity cannot be achieved without the involvement of anchor institutions and this report showcases how several HBCUs are setting the standard in their own communities.”
Brittany-Rae will expound upon the report’s findings in a roundtable discussion held during Next Century Cities’ annual Bipartisan Tech conference on April 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. Read the full report here and access the Bipartisan Tech conference registration page online.
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