Department of Commerce Holds Digital Equity Roundtable with HBCU Presidents

To commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, Sens Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D-MD) joined Historically Black College and University (HBCU) presidents and representatives at a roundtable to discuss digital equity. The January 15 roundtable in Baltimore (MD) focused on closing the digital divide as a part of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides $65 billion dollars to expand broadband to unserved and underserved areas. HBCU roundtable representatives included Bowie State University Vice President of Information Technology, Maurice Taylor; Coppin State University President, Anthony Jenkins; Morgan State University President, Dr. David Kwabena Wilson; and University of Maryland Eastern Shore Director of Government Relations, Jim Mathias. The group applauded the Administration’s commitment to digital equity and spoke about the challenges their institutions and communities face due to the digital divide. Sens Cardin and Van Hollen and Mayor Scott also expressed their commitment to digital inclusion and equity and vowed to continue to work with the Administration to further these efforts throughout Maryland.