By Stafford L. Battle
Nationwide — On February 1, 1995, thirty years in the past, two middle-aged African-American entrepreneurs bumped towards a Digital Divide that segregated Black folks from fashionable expertise. They burst via spectacularly. The Divide was not merely black and white; it separated conscious and ignorant, educated and poorly educated, oligarchy and proletariat, company and employees. Blacks have been usually caught on the unhealthy facet of the Divide due to persistent systemic racism in America.
Rey O. Harris and Stafford L. Battle self-published a e-book entitled The African American Useful resource Information to the Web. This was maybe the one publication centered totally on the Web for Black people at the moment. Subsequently, Harris and Battle have been featured within the Washington Put up (February 1, 1995), the Los Angeles Instances, and dozens of publications nationwide. They spoke on the Library of Congress, the Nationwide Press Membership, the Smithsonian Establishment, libraries, church buildings, avenue corners, and bars. The Discovery Channel produced a documentary about their actions. McGraw-Hill approached the duo and republished their e-book a yr later for nationwide distribution. Harris and Battle made little or no private money. As an alternative, they used their vitality and connections to steer folks of shade to pay attention to the digital future cascading upon us all. This was earlier than most Black Faculties (HBCUs) had e-mail addresses or web sites.
Bum-rushing the Digital Divide was essential as a result of some white people have been tragically conditioned by society to consider that individuals of shade weren’t sensible sufficient to understand the Web and its expertise. This was a giant mistake. Emmitt McHenry, a Black man and co-founder of Community Options, Inc., helped develop the DNS system (.com, .internet, .org, and others) that powers the Web. Many different gifted Afrocentric internet-enthralled fanatics entered the world to rework the world. Thus, the Divide was defeated.
Right now, all of us have smartphones, entry to terabytes of conversations, clickbait, memes, AI, and factoids from across the globe. This Web connectivity permits us to broaden economically, intellectually, and spiritually, however (there’s at all times a “however”) one thing way more hideous than a Divide is rising. Contemplate it to be “The Digital Delusion.”
The Delusion pushes reality and fiction. It promotes the concern of the “different” — anybody not precisely such as you. The Delusion helped to elect a convicted prison rapist to turn into President of America over a extremely certified, eloquent, multi-racial stateswoman. That is disgusting and embarrassing.
Private information is being purloined and used to impress us to vote towards our personal finest pursuits and dump cash into the bottomless pockets of the worldwide oligarchy — financial parasites who’re so obscenely rich that further income are pure madness.
We are able to educate, entertain, empower, and enlighten ourselves utilizing the appropriate digital instruments. Similar to we crushed the Divide, we will confront the Delusion. Social media is a jeopardy that we should perceive. Preserving our younger folks mentally wholesome and intelligently knowledgeable is important. Making certain that everybody, no matter age or earnings, can keep interactive with household, buddies, on-line sources, and important companies is important. Physician consultations and ordering prescribed drugs and correct nourishment might be achieved conveniently on-line. We are able to accomplice with creators in tiny rural villages or sprawling city towers for items and companies. Progressive economics can profit all of us. Hear, be taught, and lead.
Harris and Battle sat in a McDonald’s restaurant thirty years in the past, gleefully studying their full-page Washington Put up newspaper article within the Fashion part. They contemplated the longer term whereas sharing a small package deal of potato fries, two cheeseburgers, and a medium soda—no ketchup. Rey hated pointless condiments. It was a valuable second for deep contemplation. Sadly, Rey is not with us on this degree of existence, however Battle continues to be within the battle and enjoys beneficiant, scrumptious, home-cooked meals together with his grandsons, nieces, and nephews. Household is important prior to now, current, and future.
Discover AFROFuturism in AFROCyberspace.
Observe: Stafford Battle is an AFROFuturist. His printed web sites embody:
StaffordBattle.org
AfroCyberspace.org
SBattle.com
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