New York
Monique Tate, Co-Director of Community Tech NY (CTNY), focuses on the Community Tech Labs as an organizing space to build digital equity. CTNY advances an alternative vision of technology in which historically under-resourced communities of color have direct control over their digital voices.
CTNY is working with El Puente, a community based organization in Brooklyn, New York. Together they have developed innovative digital equity and digital justice programming for their majority Spanish-speaking/LatinX community in the South Williamsburg neighborhood-- a neighborhood where just over 1 in 5 people have no internet connection at home. In June 2023, El Puente launched their first Community Tech Lab, a community based learning hub for advanced tech skills (e.g., wireless networking) and digital equity information.
Tate documents El Puente’s work in digital equity and technology access as a model of how engaging grassroots organizations on digital equity work can serve as a launch pad for building affordable broadband that is sustained by the local community. Through this fellowship, CTNY will also publish a Zine, “Guide for Implementing Community Tech Labs.”
Posts
From a Devastated Detroit to Community Empowerment in MorningSide
In her first post Tate, who has worked towards digital equity for over a decade, explains how she came to this work in the aftermath of the great recession in Detroit. She explains her commitment to “digital justice” and supporting community-rooted solutions, that reimagine technology to fit our communities rather than trying to fit our communities to existing tech.
Related
Community Tech New York
El Puente
Examining Gaps in Digital Inclusion in New York, American Immigration Council Factsheet, December 2022
New York’s Digital Divide: Examining adoption of internet and computers for the state and its library districts (Horrigan, 2021)
New York City Council’s Access to Internet in NYC Data
New York City Internet Master Plan, January 2020
Bio
Monique Tate is a Director for Community Tech New York, educating Community
Wireless Network advocates & enthusiasts across the country. Tate has been working
on community technology projects since 2019 and continues implementing broadband
sharing in Detroit & New York. She has introduced thousands to Community
Technology and recruited & educated hundreds in Digital Stewardship, Community
Leadership, Community Networks, and Digital Justice Coalition building. From 2016 -
2020, she deployed and managed the largest community network in Detroit, for the
Equitable Internet Initiative, with nine relay sites, three Solar Powered WIFI & Charging
Stations, and activated the first Detroit public park (Bennett Playground) with WIFI,
serving thousands. This community network continues to grow.