Study: Race Affects Broadband Access

That essay by Marks is a text-book case of clueless, white privilege. If you were a poor black kid, you wouldn't have the slightest clue what TED is, even if you did somehow have broadband.

I cannot tell yall here within the confines of user agreement what reading this does to a black person. HOW DARE a magazine publish this? Even the title is offensive. Before even reading a word, I know that the contents are not going to (even minimally) touch on what ACTUALLY happens in the lives of black kids. I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO thoroughly disgusted with white folks who claim they know so much about how black folks can fix our situation. ABSOLUTELY SICK TO DEATH OF HEARING IT.

It's so easy being white (NOT black and especially NOT POOR) to say what black/poor people NEED to do. I don't care where you work, where you live, how many times you send in checks, how many times you wrap gifts and take up canned food items - you have no authority or right to say what we should do or what you would do if it were you. IT AINT U (yes, AIN'T). So stop! Not only do we have to take it from the white adults........now we gotta hear it from the children too. SMH

Oh and one more thing....since when did poor equal black. Rich white folk do know that some of their kind is poor right? Or do they just write off the poor white people and place them in the category with ALL blacks (poor, middle class, rich - black is black, huh?). RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with you Queen, but the point that really caught my attentioln was this

"Residential broadband costs in that state range from 1 percent to 6 percent of the median household income of African-American families, compared to 0.5 percent to 3 percent of median household income of whites in the state."

Thats a crazy disparity right there, that means either someone is making more money or they're just getting bigger/better discounts on services.

Which in turn leads me to this other point, the cost of telecommunication services (cable, internet, cellular usage) are not benificial to the average working middle class family.

Most homes have multiple cell phones, satellite or cable service and then when you add in internet cost - you are looking at, I know in my home alone for our satellite service, cell phone bill and internet service all together is $400 a month. My sister pays out at least $500 for her home.

Me and the mrs do o.k. in salary, but believe you me - $400 bucks a month is a good chunk of change just to stay connected to the rest of the world.

This is interesting topic because, people are afraid to attack the telecommunications industry and their rates.

Actually Duan C,

I saw the quote as indicative of the wealth gap between Black families and white families, not necessarily the companies charging black families more for access. It could very well cost a white family the same to be "connected to the world" as you so astutely put it. But, the average white family commands more wealth than the average black family, so the actual cost of being connected for a black family is more prohibitive.

That reality speaks to how structured inequality and institutional racism works in this country. When people benefit from the status quo, they have more access to opportuntiy and thus when they take advantage of an opportuntiy, it is rarely seen as an unjust circumstance. While people who are adversely affected by the status quo have a harder time trying to take advantage of any opportunities that maybe available (education, heath care, business, etc.) and thus seen as simply ill-equipped to be self sufficient in society. People who are not connected with broadband access in the 21st century are at a huge disadvantage and are losing more ground every day.

@ Renaldo - I was just trying to be under the radar with it - but you hit it on the head! lol!!!

But you are right though