Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. devoted his life to the cause of equality. His many speeches spoke to the ideals of equality and justice for the African American community. In a commencement address at Liberty University in 1961, he spoke of the many – Black, Hispanic, and White – who were living in “The Other America.”
Economic liberty and opportunity
Today, the digital divide describes a portion of that other America, a place where many can’t realize their potential without access to critical digital connectivity that enables everything from online learning to telemedicine. Though the technology didn’t exist in Dr. King’s time, he understood the enormous implications of such a divide.
In that same commencement address, Dr. King said, “if America is to remain a first-class nation, she can no longer have second-class citizens.”
As we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day, we can take a measure of pride in knowing our purpose, Building Gigabit America, reflects Dr. King’s vision for the future.
Using our fiber technology and resources to connect more people to the digital society is the force behind our Broadband for Good social-impact program. It represents our commitment to accelerating digital inclusion, and it’s benefitting the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Brazos Valley in Bryan, Texas. Most recently, we brought the program to the Elk Grove Teen Center USA in California. In both places, our network powers a safe place for children to learn, play and grow.
Though Broadband for Good is new, its aspirations are focused on bringing our fiber technology – what CEO Nick Jeffery refers to as “our superpower” – into the communities we are honored to serve and bring us one step closer to building the one America Dr. King dedicated his life to.
By Charlon McIntosh, Chief Customer Operations Officer
