NASHVILLE, TN — American Baptist College has been awarded a nearly $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) through its Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program.
The Connecting Minority Communities pilot program is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All Initiative that will connect everyone in America with affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service. This program specifically directs $268 million from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 for expanding high-speed Internet access and connectivity to eligible HBCUs, Tribal Colleges or Universities (TCUs), and other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).
In announcing the award, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said, “Access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service is necessary for minority students and local communities to fully access school, healthcare, and jobs.” Raimondo added that the Connecting Minority Communities Program will “help make internet connectivity a reality for tens of thousands of students at minority-servicing colleges and universities across the country.”
The grant is designed to identify anchor communities located at strategic sites to help eradicate digital deserts within a 15-mile radius of American Baptist College. “Social justice in technology is a matter of access and equity for underserved communities. The late Congressman John Lewis would be proud that his alma mater remains on the front line of justice by working to close the digital divide,” said ABC President Forrest Harris.
The grant resources will assist American Baptist College to become a “T echnology Hub” for the surrounding community “Once the technology resources and connections are operational, they will be a service for patrons of the Northwest YMCA o n Ashland City Highway, as well as residents in the area, who will have the opport unity to experience the College, Harris added.
“The College will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024,” said ABC Chief Advancement Officer Dr. Phyllis Qualls, who wrote the grant with the guidance of Mabel Phifer of the Center for Leadership, Development, and Research, LLC.
“As the College prepares to celebrate its centennial year, this award, the largest single grant in the College’s history, will help advance ABC’s mission to educate students about social justice, equity, advocacy, and leadership in the communities they serve, undergirded in theology through the use of technology.”
Ed Wisdom III, senior IT advisor for ABC and the grant’s principal investigator, added, “The ever-evolving nature of technology has transformed the way so many of us move through life on a daily basis. However, at the same time, this evolution has created a great divide for so many individuals who are not immersed in technology on a regular basis. The Connecting Minority Communities grant addresses this divide by bringing technology closer to communities that desperately need it. This project will help ensure that no one community and no one person is left behind.”
American Baptist College received $2,992.248.23 for the two year grant cycle that will help change lives through technology in the North Nashville area.
Jessica Fain, chief strategy officer for the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, said, “We are pleased to partner with American Baptist College in this significant endeavor. ABC’s work to address the digital divide is well aligned with our cause of strengthening community; we’re grateful for this opportunity to increase connectivity for the individuals and families who frequent the Y or the Blue Cross Healthy Place.”
American Baptist College, along with Lane College in Jackson, Tenn., were the two Tennessee institutions to receive the Connecting Minority Communities Grant. The two-year grant is a pilot program and avails the opportunity for more funds through NTIA in the future. The Connecting Minority Communities award was officially announced in January, 2023.
“This is what American Baptist College is all about — striving to bridge gaps of injustice to achieve justice,” said ABC Board of Trustees Chair Dennie Marshall. “We are proud of the staff who worked so diligently to obtain this grant which is a major milestone in the history of the College.”
You may learn more about American Baptist College and its Centennial Year observance by visiting abcnash.edu. The 99th year observance will be in October 2023, and the Centennial year activities will continue from that period until October 2024 and beyond.