#OaklandUndivided

#OaklandUndivided is proud to support Oakland Unified School District’s trailblazing Student Repair Internship Program! Led by Samantha Nunez, the program has been making waves; this summer alone, OUSD student interns repaired 3,198 computers to keep their classmates and communities connected! At a recent event celebrating the passage of California’s Right to Repair Law, Samantha explained, “The Oakland Unified School District’s Student Tech Repair Program empowers students to repair computers, ensuring all students have functional devices for home and school use, while promoting sustainability and offering learning opportunities." Congratulations to our Student Interns for expanding digital access & advocating to ensure sustainability and environmentally conscious policies.

Digital discrimination has a systematic, provable impact on low-income and marginalized consumers. #AB2239 (Assemblymember Mia Bonta) targets these issues head-on. Senate Appropriations Committee Members: Support equity & vote YES on #AB2239! Senator Anna Caballero, Senator Angelique Ashby, Senator Josh Becker Senator Steven Bradford, Senator Aisha Wahab, Brian Jones

We did it! The California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to fund Oakland Connect—the City of Oakland’s $15 million grant proposal to expand access to reliable, high-speed internet in East and West Oakland. The vote to approve the application represents the culmination of over two years of leadership from the City of Oakland and advocacy from #OaklandUndivided#OaklandUndivided to improve internet availability and performance in West Oakland, Fruitvale, and East Oakland. Thank you to all of those who worked on making this grant happen, including support letters from Senator Nancy Skinner, Assemblymember Mia Bonta, Superintendent Nathan Miley, and Alameda County Superintendent of Schools Alysse Castro. A special thank you to those who attended the Voting Meeting in person to provide public comment, including Oakland Housing Authority Executive Director Patricia Wells, City of Oakland CIO Tony Batalla, and Broadband Manager Luisa Calumpong, Homies Empowerment Caretaker Diego Rodriguez, Everyone On Senior Programs Manager Gabriela Andrada, Tech Equity Fellow Daniella Espinoza from The Greenlining Institute and community advocates Jawharah and Brandy. Read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/ggYAjGsc

The state’s shift to fully digital testing marks a new era of education and we cannot leave Oakland youth behind. Access to reliable internet is absolutely essential! #OaklandUndivided calls on our State partners — @California Governor Gavin Newsom, California Department of Technology (CDT), and California Public Utilities Commission — to fulfill their promise to make transformational broadband infrastructure investments in Oakland! #DigitalEquityNow #FixTheMaps Click the link below to read Shomik Mukherjee's article in the The Mercury News highlighting what last weekend’s event tells us about digital equity concerns statewide! https://lnkd.in/gvUQ3DQr

Digital discrimination ends with us as AB 2239 passed the Assembly vote! 🙌 Huge thanks to Assemblymember Mia Bonta, California Alliance for Digital Equity, SEIU, Insure the Uninsured Project, and NextGen Policy for bringing the voice of the people to Sacramento. Now, we’re on the Senate. Add your voice to the chorus calling for an end to digital discrimination by signing the AB 2239 support letter: https://lnkd.in/gxZfYG95

The budget is a reflection of the State’s priorities, and for too long, historically marginalized communities like East and West Oakland have been neglected. This once-in-a-generation investment can be different. We urge the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Technology to invest in the communities bearing the brunt of the digital divide. Do not ask us—yet again—to wait for a more convenient season.

California Alliance for Digital Equity (CADE) released a statement on Governor Gavin Newsom's May Budget Revision, which retracts the $1.5B investment in the Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative. “We encourage the Legislature to re-evaluate the MMBI budget and secure the investment needed to meet the State’s commitments to communities across California.”

This week, California’s groundbreaking Digital Discrimination Law (AB2239) took another major step of passing through the Assembly Judiciary Committee! The work continues. Thank you Assemblymember Mia Bonta for your bold leadership and unapologetic representation of marginalized communities in AD 18 and throughout the State. We stand on the shoulders of giants!

New Bill Pushes California to Confront Digital Discrimination "The facts of the digital divide in California are stark. Race and income are the best predictors of whether you have access to the Internet in your neighborhood, how reliable it is and what you pay for it." - Patrick Messac, Director, Oakland Undivided

Only 15 days until the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) ends! If you or someone you know has an ACP benefit that is ending, we recommend you contact your internet provider and ask if there are any special discounts or programs that you might qualify for. #AffordableInternet. #OaklandUndivided