Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds ConnectED Investments

WASHINGTON—Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s announcement regarding progress toward his ConnectED goal of connecting 99 percent of students to high-speed broadband or high-speed wireless in five years:

“Bridging the digital divide is an absolute necessity to pull families out of the cycle of poverty and to ensure adequate education for all students, regardless of their race, income, or  ZIP code. 

The major investment announced today by  President Obama jump starts  federal programs like E-Rate and the President’s  ConnectED initiative, which would connect 99 percent of students to high-speed Internet in five years.  This public-private partnership with major corporations and the Federal Communications Commission has the potential to open access to modern communications services and the resources of the Internet to nearly every community in the nation, including communities of color, low-income communities, and people with disabilities.

We will never be able to significantly narrow the education and wealth gaps in this nation without universal Internet access and today’s announcement marks a measurable step toward bridging the digital divide.”

Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.