Take on Race Coalition Fuels Equitable
Access to Digital Resources for Students Most Impacted by
COVID-19
Invites Partners to Join the ‘One Million
Connected Devices Now’ Movement
● Dell Technologies, Intel, Dow Jones,
Fidelity, Microsoft Corp, PNC Bank, PolicyLink, Walmart, Comcast
and others join P&G in the One Million Connected Devices
Now movement
● Coalition to deliver devices, connectivity
and education that improves access for students and underserved
communities by collaborating with Harlem Children’s Zone,
PolicyLink and StriveTogether
Today, a nationwide coalition led by Procter & Gamble
(NYSE:PG) announced $25 million in investments towards a goal to
put one million connected devices in the hands of students without
access to the basic tools needed to engage in digital learning, a
need that’s been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
One Million Connected Devices Now is the latest effort
from the Take on Race Coalition – a group P&G developed in
partnership with CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion. Partners
Dell Technologies, Intel, Dow Jones, Fidelity, Microsoft Corp, PNC
Bank, PolicyLink, Walmart, and Comcast have joined P&G in Phase
One of the initiative that has raised $25 million towards devices,
and the companies invite others to become involved in helping
address the digital divide.
“The pandemic has exacerbated inequality for communities of
color, particularly in education. Like many others, we know the
time is now to step up and limit the long-term impacts of these
short-term challenges,” said David Taylor, Chairman of the Board,
President and Chief Executive Officer, Procter & Gamble. “The
spirit of collaboration demonstrated by the partners supporting One
Million Connected Devices Now illustrates what is possible when we
come together with focused actions towards our most pressing
societal challenges. We have much more to do, but I’m encouraged by
the response to-date and the potential for even greater
impact.”
To scale, distribute, and drive enduring impact in communities
across America, the Coalition has formed strategic partnerships
with local organizations experienced in connecting students,
families and communities. Community partners include Harlem
Children’s Zone, StriveTogether, and INROADS. Harlem Children’s
Zone – a New York-based nonprofit which reaches more than 22,500
children and families will scale and execute the One Million
Connected Devices Now effort to better serve students
nationwide. The Coalition’s partnership with StriveTogether – a
national network of nearly 70 communities dedicated to dismantling
the cycle of inequitable outcomes for youth – will expand the reach
of One Million Connected Devices Now across its network in
Phase Two. INROADS, an organization focused on career development
for minority youth, will assist in identifying students in need of
devices as well as provide recipients across the country with
opportunities for training and career development through its
College Links and Leadership Development Academy programs.
“One Million Connected Devices Now will help Harlem
Children’s Zone advance our mission to uplift our community and end
intergenerational poverty in Central Harlem and around the nation,”
said Kwame Owusu-Kesse, CEO, Harlem Children’s Zone. “We see that
the support is needed and this timely movement will help further
our national efforts and block by block approach to rooting out
poverty.” Harlem Children’s Zone is leading city-by-city community
coordination in seven Phase One markets: New York City, Atlanta,
Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Newark and Oakland. The organization
will activate its national network of community partners to meet a
pre-identified need and drive scale.
Companies continue to partner with the Coalition to help
eliminate inequities by providing access and advancement for people
of color across education, employment, health care, wealth
creation, social justice and rejecting bias.
Data reveals that today’s youngest students are most vulnerable
to falling behind. One Million Connected Devices Now
reflects this urgent need and its importance in the near-term
delivery of academic instruction.
BRIDGING THE GAP: STUDENTS OF COLOR, EDUCATION AND THE
DIGITAL DIVIDE
Students of color disproportionately lack access to an
appropriate computing device and reliable wi-fi connectivity for
digital learning.
- Over 73 million Americans (23 percent of population) live in
neighborhoods where in-home broadband service subscription rates
fall below 40 percent.1
- The majority (13.6 million) of digitally-disconnected
households across the U.S. live in urban areas;2
- Those least likely to have broadband in America are communities
of color and low-income communities.2
The need for urgent intervention is clear – and corporations are
helping.
“While people of color continue to strive for equitable access
and advancement, COVID-19 has complicated an urgent and growing
digital divide – particularly among students of color,” said Barron
Witherspoon, Senior Vice President, Global Industry Affairs &
Corporate Race Initiatives, Procter & Gamble. “One Million
Connected Devices Now is an execution of P&G’s commitment
being a force for good and a force for growth, and is powered by
scaled collaboration that will help close the digital divide across
the country.”
“We need to move faster to address the digital inequity we see
around us today, especially when it comes to education and remote
learning,” said JJ Davis, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Dell
Technologies. “Our ambition is to put communities at the center of
digital inclusion – to listen and learn so we can adapt our
approach to devices, connectivity and the skills and resources
needed at the local level. The Take on Race Coalition supports this
ambition by enabling broader impact than any one company or
organization can have on its own."
“Our mission at Intel is to create world-changing technology
that enriches the lives of every person on earth. That’s why we
have invested more than $1 billion globally in education over the
past 15 years, including training for more than 15 million
teachers,” said Gregory Bryant, Executive Vice President and
General Manager of the Client Computing Group, Intel. “COVID-19 has
exposed the ongoing digital divide and reinforced the importance of
access to technology, especially for underserved communities.
“It is critical that we unite as an industry and nation to
ensure that students continue to learn in this virtual
environment.”
The Take on Race Coalition is forming partnerships at each
critical phase of the supply chain and invites interested companies
to join the movement.
Visit www.TakeOnRace.org to support, and:
- Make a cash donation to the Take on Race – Million Connected
Devices Fund.
- Donate physical devices, computers and/or hotspots, for
distribution.
- Donate wi-fi or broadband access for use by the one million
students who will benefit from this initiative.
- Connect the Take on Race team to principal players at companies
across the connected device industry.
- Amplify the One Million Connected Devices Now movement
via social media, #OneMillionConnectedDevicesNow.
- Learn more about One Million Connected Devices Now and
the Coalition’s goal to help achieve racial equity in America.
About Procter & Gamble
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the
strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands.
Fostering equality and inclusion, supporting our communities and
protecting the planet are embedded in how we do business. We
believe we have a responsibility to make the world better — through
the products we create and the positive impact our brands and
Company can have. The P&G community includes operations in
approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit www.pg.com for
the latest news and information about P&G and its brands. For
other P&G news, visit us at www.pg.com/news.
_________________________ 1 Sign of Digital Distress, Mapping
broadband availability and subscription in American neighborhoods,
Adie Tomer, Elizabeth Kneebone, Ranjitha Shivaram (Brookings,
Washington, D.C., September 2017). 2 Digital Prosperity: How
Broadband Can Deliver Health and Equity to All Communities, Adie
Tomer, Lara Fishbane, Angela Siefer, Bill Callahan (Brookings,
Washington, D.C., February 2020).
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210211005764/en/
Media Contact Danny Astoria danny@egamigroup.com
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