This post got lost in our system but we still wanted to publish it. The Nation ran an article by Maya Wiley, founder of the Center for Social Inclusion, calling on New York’s Mayor de Blasio to bring the “Two New Yorks” together with community broadband.
Her article describes the Red Hook area of Brooklyn where a community network is helping residents and businesses. The community is filled with low-income families and physically separated by the subway system. During Superstorm Sandy, Red Hook happened to be one of the few places where one could find Wi-Fi access in New York.
Thanks to the the Red Hook Initiative (RHI), the Open Technology Institute (OTI), and a strong sense of self-reliance, the community established a mesh network. Wiley shares the story of the community network, describing ways it has provided access and created opportunity. She understands the link between community networks and possibilities for the people they serve.
From the article:
New York is getting a big infusion of federal dollars to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. Mayor de Blasio should look for ways to leverage some of those dollars to better equip low-lying, low-income communities to weather the roiling seas of climate change and the economy.
High-speed Internet access won’t stop future superstorms and it won’t solve all the unfairness that low-income New Yorkers face. But with strong alliances between community members, local non-profits, businesses and technology experts, it will bring affordable, local innovation that helps us build stronger, fairer and more resilient communities.
In the time since, Maya Wiley has accepted a position as Counsel to Mayor de Blasio and will be heading up efforts to expand Internet access among other duties.