September 23, 2023

BROWNBAGTV BROADCAST LIVE FROM THE LA MEMORIAL COLISEUM, W/ ACCELERATED RADIO

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Dakar foundation has assembled our apprentices for the second BrownbagTV live podcast  to be executed for municipal partner, the Los Angeles County, office of ISD on Wednesday, October 4th, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This will be our maiden voyage with Accelerated Radio. and we’re excited to see our team in action with Accelerated’s professional hardware and software.  Last week BrownbagTv covered the Delete The Divide sponsored Empowerment Summit. , and it has given us much needed insight to prepare for the  Tech Empowerment Conference in two weeks.

The Crew

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Why was DTD deployed?

On October 20, 2020, during the peak of Covid-19 Pandemic, the Board of Supervisors authorized ISD as the lead agency on the Delete The Divide Initiative (DTD). Through an innovative public-private partnership model, Delete the Divide seeks to unify efforts to provide youth, young adults, and small businesses in disadvantaged communities, identified through Covid-19 high-priority areas in Equity Explorer and U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey Data “high-need areas”, who are adversely impacted by the digital divide with direct access to modern technologies, as well as training and support services, educational programs, technical certifications, job shadowing, mentoring, corporate tours, paid internships, academic scholarships, practical hands-on experience, entrepreneurial opportunities, and pathways to well-paying careers.


The Data Set

According to 2021 United States Census data, the median annual household income in the State of California is $81,575. The estimated median annual household income in Los Angeles County is $69,778, yet more than 1.3 million people in the County of Los Angeles are reported at Below the poverty level . Additionally, the 2021 Census data reports that 125 thousand households in Los Angeles County do not have a computer and 242 thousand households lack a broadband internet subscription. These households are disproportionately located in low-income areas and the populations are predominately Black and LatinX.


The Circumstances

The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated the severity of the digital divide within Los Angeles County. In an effort to reduce the spread of the virus, a number of health safety protocols related to physical distancing were implemented by State and County health officials. As a result, constituents encountered a greater dependency on technology to perform routine and daily activities such as working remotely, distance learning among schools, and the exchange of products and services. The sudden and large-scale transition to a virtual environment brought in clear view the vast disparities in access to information and communication technologies within underserved communities.


The People

Hundreds of thousands of people continue to experience hardships due to technological barriers. Major initiatives are underway to provide computer devices and broadband connectivity to underserved communities. These are necessary and critical steps to ending the digital divide. However, equally important is the knowledge and awareness of how to effectively utilize and navigate the resources available through technology. The combination of access and awareness can expand opportunities for growth, achievement and advancement among disadvantaged populations.


CERF/ Disinvested Communities

Dakar Foundation is a community partner with Delete The Divide, and has signed a data sharing agreement that will utilize AI to predict behavior and seek other  community partners and alliances such as CERF. These entities include government, private corporations, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, philanthropists, and the sports and entertainment industries. Collectively, we can contribute resources to underserved communities to connect residents and small businesses to opportunities through technology. The resources will be centrally available through the Delete The Divide program and provide more direct pathways to personal development and economic growth.



Goal Description
1. Expose youth, young adults, and residents to the equalizing power of technology and prepare them to pursue one of the following: a) post-secondary education; b) employment in a well-paying technology field, or c) entrepreneurship. 2. Small businesses develop/enhance website presence, e-commerce, and digital marketing capabilities. Delete The Divide is employing 200 of the 1446 DTD members as pre-apprentices. The DTD members that are not employed as pre-apprentices have full access to all of DTD’s free resources such as IT professional certification training programs, technology training, digital literacy training, attendance at DTD sponsored events, etc.


Objective Description
Delete The Divide’s target service areas are among the most disadvantaged within Los Angeles County and our overall objective is to increase working opportunities and educational resources for the underserved. In addition, to transform the neighborhood businesses operating in the most disadvantaged communities through a wide array of partnerships with public, private, non-profit and CBOs.


Outcome Description
1. Expose youth, young adults and residents of underserved communities to the equalizing power of technology and prepare them to pursue one of the following: a) post-secondary education; b) employment in a well-paying technology field, or c) entrepreneurship. 2. Small businesses develop/enhance website presence, e-commerce, and digital marketing capabilities.