FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 2, 2020
Devren Washington, Senior Policy Organizer of Movement Alliance Project, issued the following statement as students across Philadelphia start the school year online.
“Today is the first day of online education for thousands of Philly’s students. For an estimated 18,000 students—mostly brown, Black, and poor—the right to a free public education is determined by which side of the digital divide they are on.
“Comcast, a multi-billion dollar corporation, is extorting our public education system by requiring a multi-million dollar payout from our school district for subpar internet connections in a time of global crisis. While families that can afford to pay for high speed internet will get their education, others on an Internet Essentials account will be stuck behind slow speeds or be forced to choose which of their children can log on at a time. There are still others who won’t be reached by this program, and are completely at a loss for how to get online.”
Broadband internet is a human right and should be accessible like any other utility. We can no longer afford to allow corporations like Comcast to profit off of its rationing. We must continue to push Comcast now to do far more to make sure every family gets online.”
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Movement Alliance Project works to build a healthy movement ecosystem where organizations succeed in making transformational social change. We collaborate with organizations and alliances to develop strategy, collectivize the administrative capacity emerging projects need, and convene groups to deepen the interconnection and solidarity within and across sectors of organizing.
