Wednesday: HBCU Caucus Hosts FCC Chairwoman for Diversity in Tech Panel

Press Release

Washington, D.C. -- Tomorrow, Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12) will host the fourth annual Diversity in Tech Summit. The Summit brings together private sector, government, and education leaders to address and ultimately improve the representation of Black Americans and people of color, including women of color, in the tech sector. The summit is anchored by a 12:30 PM ET panel on Zoom featuring Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

"It's clearer than ever that high-speed internet access is no longer nice-to-have, it's need-to-have. It's why I'm proud that the FCC stood up the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program in record time and already enrolled millions of households in its first few weeks," said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. "Pell Grant recipients, including many HBCU students, are now able to receive the support they need to get online and stay connected to keep up with their studies. I look forward to engaging with HBCU leaders on the lessons learned during the pandemic and how the FCC can best support them, so these critical institutions emerge from this public health crisis stronger than before."

What: HBCU Caucus Diversity in Tech Panel

When: 12:30 PM ET, Wednesday June 16

Where: Zoom, Register here

Who: FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel
Hubert D. Harris, Chief of Staff, Virginia State University
Darrell McMillon, Vice President/CIO, Delaware State University
Moderator: Dr. Brittany-Rae Gregory, Communications Director, Next Century Cities

"On Wednesday, 62 private partners, HBCU leaders and Members of Congress will convene to discuss the importance of HBCUs using technology to create a more just and equitable society," said Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus. "HBCU students, faculty, staff and their communities have been particularly hard hit over the past year, so this discussion couldn't come at a more important time. I applaud all of our private partners for working with us create 21st century opportunity for the institutions and students who need our help the most, and for committing to diverse workforces in every sector."

The presenting partner for the event is Truist.

Additionally, the Diversity in Tech Summit will highlight the HBCU Caucus' HBCU Partnership Challenge. The Partnership Challenge encourages the over 60 participating organizations to make greater investments in HBCUs. For more information, please contact Sam Spencer (Sam.Spencer@mail.house.gov).

Congresswoman Alma Adams represents North Carolina's 12th Congressional District (Charlotte) and serves as Vice Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture. Additionally, she serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the House Education & Labor Committee, where she serves as Chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee. In 2015, she founded the first bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Caucus in Congress.

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