Presentation to include Black Tech Ecosystem Index of each participant city
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The #BlackTechFutures Research Institute, housed at Stillman College, will introduce its new Black Tech Ecosystem Index during its Building Critical Black Digital Infrastructure in Cities Week beginning Monday, April 24 through Thursday, April 27.
The four-day digital event will focus on the Black Tech Ecosystems in Birmingham, Nashville, Memphis and Houston, and will provide government and civic leaders with insight and recommendations on how best to use federal funding to bridge the digital divide.
Each day of Building Critical Black Digital Infrastructure in Cities Week will include a public presentation of the Black Tech Ecosystem Index, which relies on 57 indicators and 160 metrics to determine the health of each city’s ecosystem. The index informs each individual city report: Dreaming of a Black Tech Future: A Digital Equity Assessment of Local Black Tech Ecosystem.
“This index evaluates how well Black institutions and individuals are positioned to thrive in the current digital economy and future automated workforce,” said Isaac McCoy, dean of Stillman’s School of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Computational and Information Sciences.
“Further, Stillman is pleased to house innovative research and public policy recommendations to build and sustain an inclusive tech ecosystem in all U.S. cities.”
The purpose of each report is multipronged. First, the Black Tech Ecosystem Index evaluates how well Black institutions and individuals are positioned to thrive in the current digital economy and future automated workforce. Second, the reports provide specific recommendations to municipalities on how to leverage federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and Digital Equity Act (DEA) funding. Next, the reports highlight local institutions and organizations that are already working to close the digital divide. And lastly, the reports provide each city with a letter-grade based upon the overall health of the city’s Black Tech Ecosystem.
The public presentations will include remarks from local dignitaries and others as well as a brief overview of the index, findings and recommendations.
BlackTechFutures Research Institute works to build robust, sustainable Black tech ecosystems locally and nationally. Through its national network of city-based researchers and Black tech ecosystem builders, it examines the intersections of racial tech disparities and Black joy assets to create city-wide reports, strategic plans and policy recommendations that strengthen Black tech ecosystems. The institute is sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation 2020 Open Knowledge Grant and housed at Stillman College, a private HBCU in Alabama and the only HBCU with a race and tech research center.
Details for the four-day digital event are listed below. The public and media are invited to attend and can register online at blacktechfutures.com.
- Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Time: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. CT
City of Focus: Nashville, Tennessee
- Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Time: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. CT
City of Focus: Memphis, Tennessee
- Thursday, April 27, 2023
Time: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. CT
City of Focus: Houston, Texas
