Report: Broadband in the Mississippi Delta, a 21st Century Racial Justice Issue

Link to executive summary of Center for Social Inclusion report. (via boingboing)

Excerpt: Communities of color in the Mississippi Delta are disconnected from the twenty-first century information economy and the social benefits it brings with it. Broadband in the Mississippi Delta, shows the link between economic opportunity and broadband access in one of the poorest regions of the country. Mississippi’s rural areas need investment in broadband to grow and thrive. As new federal resources under the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program become available this year CSI’s report, Broadband in the Mississippi In the Delta, demonstrates the strategic and social importance of the federal government directing those funds to poorly connected communities in Mississippi, which are often communities of color.

Findings:
• People of color are the majority in zip codes with zero access to high speed Internet.
• Mississippi’s Second Congressional Districts has the largest population of people of color and the lowest levels of broadband access.
• Broadband builds the economy. Therefore, poor communities of color are less able to build their economies or the state and national economy.