Building a Movement for Digital Equity, Together. 

We are Black Churches 4 Digital Equity (BC4DE) and we are building collaborative movement across the nation to make sure that our communities–communities with the least access–get digital equity. This is a fight for justice and access to affordable and reliable internet our communities need to thrive in the digital age.

Our coalition works to educate members of our community about broadband internet assistance programs, encourage unconnected households to get online, to train and organize leaders as advocates to get their communities connected, and to advance digital equity through the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

ACP is an ambitious program that ensures every American family can afford home internet service. Black churches have always worked to connect resources to the community–and digital access is no different. The BC4DE movement organizes and empowers Black church leaders to use their trusted voices to advocate for digital equity, raise awareness of low-cost internet options, and encourage our community to sign up.

Our Journey and Milestones

In May 2021 the Multicultural Media and Telecom Internet Council (MMTC) joined with faith and civil rights leaders to launch BC4DE (formerly known as Black Churches 4 Broadband), a coalition dedicated to educating members of our community about broadband internet assistance programs and to advocate for a permanent broadband assistance benefit for low-income Americans.

BC4DE began with MMTC and six Black Church nonprofits mobilizing grassroots support for a permanent internet subsidy that included: The Balm in Gilead, The Samuel Dewitt Proctor Conference, the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, the National Council of Black Churches, The Black Church PAC and Values Partnerships. The coalition grew to over 400 Black Church leaders, including, Rev. Dr. Renita Weems, Bishop Anne Henning Byfield, Rev. Traci Blackmon, and Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, coming together in this cause:

• Hundreds of religious and civil rights leaders sent a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris supporting the White House’s effort to expand broadband access and calling for a permanent broadband benefit.

• Our Black Churches 4 Broadband Week of Action activated congregations to send emails, phone calls and tweets calling for a permanent broadband benefit.

• We educated thousands of Black church leaders about how they could help people in their communities access home internet benefits and advocate for digital equity.

We are agents of change when we come together as a community, and Congress responded by creating the Affordable Connectivity Program, signed into law as part of President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Still, we know the fight is far from over. Digital equity demands more than just making broadband available and affordable: we also must equip and empower unconnected Americans with the skills they need to thrive online. 

Black Churches Have Always Championed Equity

Long before the pandemic highlighted and expanded the gulf in internet access between served and unserved or underserved communities, Black Churches diligently worked to identify the need to connect members of their communities to the internet and sought to provide that connection. 

• Black Churches have long provided educational opportunities for adults, and with the advent of the digital era, they quickly realized that computers were necessary to serve this goal.

• Black Churches were among the vanguard in establishing community-directed computer labs for parishioners and members of the public.

• Faith-based nonprofits have also partnered directly with internet service providers to expand access to the internet. For example, Comcast has partnered with community centers, churches, and other faith-based nonprofits across the country to create “Lift Zones” that provide free internet as well as resources to build digital skills and support online learning.

Our pastors often take to the pulpit to share digital resources and engage with their congregations online. The pandemic has only underscored the need for digital connections, as congregations have had to shift many of their support networks and services online in recent years.

Learn more about how your congregation can join this movement by contacting us below.