Friend,
The late, great Congressman John Lewis said that “technology rights are the new civil rights.” He was right.
African Americans were excluded from the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution. They shouldn’t—and they won’t—be excluded from the digital revolution.
That’s why I’m proud to have brought the TechWise program, an initiative I helped conceive that unites tech companies, local governments, and educational institutions, to Benedict College, a historically Black college in Columbia, South Carolina.
Through TechWise, Google is partnering with HBCUs such as Benedict; community colleges such as Des Moines Community College; and Hispanic-Serving Institutions such as the University of Nevada, Reno, to prepare students to become the tech leaders of the 21st century. Google is paying a $5,000 stipend to students, who get an 18-month credential and 10 hours a week with a Google mentor to provide them with either advanced STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) degrees or jobs paying up to $100,000.
WATCH NOW: See how TechWise is changing lives and creating new opportunities.
