Insights

The process of voting used to require being in particular places at particular times. Now nearly all of the process, except casting a ballot, happens online. Online voter registration is the norm across the country with the exception of a few states. This means the ability to participate civically has become inseparable from digital literacy. That's a powerful argument for digital equity organizations to include it in their work.

The need for digital equity work has never been greater. And the resources to support it have never been thinner. This reality has led us to take a hard look at the sector and determine if and how we need to adjust our giving strategy.

AI isn't a future concern for the communities that struggle to access the internet. It's a present condition that impacts the people least equipped to navigate it — and the effects are compounding.

Hotspot is a series of articles drawn from interviews with people across the digital equity and inclusion ecosystem. For this issue, Cassie Bair sat down with Rebekah Crosby and Carolyn Leslie, co-founders of Connecting to Thrive, and Beth Kivett, Hopkins Activity Center Manager at City of Hopkins, to discuss how organizations came together quickly to address an urgent need in Hopkins, MN — and how the Hopkins Digital Access Initiative continues to make lives better for people in the community.

The Digital Equity Act was designed to bring millions of Americans into the digital age. Its cancellation set off a chain reaction and the fallout continues to be felt.

Whoever controls the internet controls the story. That's the argument Steven Renderos and MediaJustice have been making for years. And it’s why they fight for community control.