The past year has caused us to look at our interactions, our relationships and our technologies differently. In education we were forced to find new ways to reach our students outside of the classroom. Medical professionals and their insurance companies had to devise new ways to hold virtual appointments and to allow pracitioners to be paid for their remote services. Businesses sent many employees home while service industries had to learn new ways to keep their employees safe while on the job.
The advances we made, while transformative, also highlighted the gaps in our broadband capability and access to services. On April 15, 2021 I participated an eye opening webinar, addressing the educational risks that students of color face due to systemic inequities and lack of access to technology. As students went online with virtual learning, many of our students of color struggled, as they did not have access to computers, high speed internet or reliable wi-fi, making it difficult to be successful in the virtual learning environment. If this topic is of interest, take the time to listen to the recording: The Digital Playing Field: “How Racially Equitable is it?”
The Diversity Leadership Alliance sponsored this talk as part of their UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS THAT IGNITE CHANGE series. You may find other recordings on their website: https://www.diversityleadershipalliance.org/participate/recordings/
Adero C E Allison PhD 