What is Black Church Weekly?
The Black Church Weekly is a publication by the team at Values Partnerships, a social impact firm focused on communities of faith and communities of color. We're delighted to bring you news and views related to the Black church and opportunities to engage on policy, entertainment, and culture each week! The Black Church Weekly is edited by Rev. Kip Banks, senior consultant with Values Partnerships, former General Secretary of the Progressive National Convention and pastor of East Washington Heights Baptist Church in Washington, DC. Its publisher is Joshua DuBois, former faith-based advisor to President Barack Obama.

Do You Love Me?

By Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith

It’s time for Congress to help close South Carolina’s digital divide

By Rev. Dr. Ralph Canty and Dr. M. Andrew Davis

As America emerges from the shutdowns faced during COVID-19, too many people have been left behind because of the digital inequity plaguing urban, poor, and rural communities across the country and right here in South Carolina.

Over the past several decades, technological devices like laptops and tablets, as well as access to the internet, have become a central part of South Carolinians’ daily lives. Especially considering the pandemic, these technologies have become critical to our social connectivity, access to medical information, school, work, and so much more.

However, in so many counties across the state, these technological services are not adequately available, presenting a digital divide among our communities. According to data by Broadband Now, upwards of 344,000 people don’t have a wired option capable of ‘basic’ internet speeds in South Carolina, and up to 171,000, people don’t have access to a wired connection at all. Even further, affordability data reveals that only 52.4% of residents have access to a low-priced wired internet plan.

This gap is especially present in our education system, which has only been worsened by the pandemic. Within the last two years, more than 55 million students moved to online learning. But, as many as 17 million students didn’t have access to a reliable broadband service, a device, or both. Because students without home access to broadband internet are less likely to plan to attend college and face a digital skills gap, this homework gap reinforces the existing inequity in our country.

And this digital divide is not limited to education. Broadband services have become crucial to accessing medical information and telehealth services. Across the country, the use of broadband-enabled telehealth services rose 35 percent from 2019 to 2020. But individuals and families without broadband are being left behind without access to these tools.

While the government, cities, and corporations have worked to close the divide over the last 25-years, it’s shocking to read the statistics in 2021 about some of the poorest and most rural communities that still don’t have access to reliable internet. A report by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies found that in the Black Rural South, 38 percent of African Americans report they lack home internet access. Of the residents who do have access, 25.8% of residents don’t have the option to subscribe to high-speed broadband and it is often not affordable with 60.8 percent of Black households earning less than $35,000.

One takeaway from the pandemic is the urgent need for lawmakers to press for long-term solutions that will improve the lives of South Carolina’s poor, working families, and small businesses that lack access to affordable broadband.

Congressman Jim Clyburn is committed to fighting to close this digital divide with his work on the House Rural Broadband Task Force, and the instruction of the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act and the Emergency Broadband Benefit program.

We urge members of Congress to join Congressman Clyburn in continuing to support federal solutions towards closing the digital divide, like the infrastructure bill, which provides funds to underserved communities, access to technology, and financial assistance to afford services, technology, and skills training.

With too many communities struggling to get their footing, access to affordable broadband is essential for employment, healthcare services, and education. Increasing access across our state is within our reach; however, we must collectively work to close this divide for good.

Rev. Dr. Ralph Canty is Pastor of Savannah Grove Baptist Church in Effingham, SC, a former South Carolina State Representative, and a school board member. Dr. M. Andrew Davis is a pastor at Zion Baptist Church in Columbia, SC a historic congregation established for more than 156 years.

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The Black Church Weekly wants to feature photos of black church gatherings taking place across the country. You can submit photos of your in-person socially distanced services, bible studies, zoom worship services, and even your various ministries serving in your local community. Please email all photos to: kip@valuespartnerships.com. When submitting them please include the name of your ministry, location, and name(s) of the senior pastor(s). All submissions will be featured in our next newsletter!

#BlackChurches4Broadband Encourages Families to Sign up for Emergency Broadband (Internet) Benefit

Our hero, the late Congressman John Lewis, said that internet access is “the civil rights issue of the 21st Century.” A high-speed home broadband (internet) connection is vital for full enfranchisement in today’s world. It opens the door to educational and economic opportunities, connects family and church communities, allows access to remote health care services, and empowers greater civic engagement and activism. Congress recently created an Emergency Broadband Benefit giving eligible families up to $50 per
month to pay for home broadband service. You may be eligible for the Emergency Broadband Benefit if your household has experienced a sudden loss of income during the pandemic, or is currently receiving federal benefits such as SNAP, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Federal Public Housing Assistance, Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit, Lifeline, Pell Grants, or free and reduced-price school lunches, Visit blackchurches4broadband.org to learn more about eligibility and how to sign up.

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