Digital Inclusion in Detroit, Michigan: A Study of Community Leadership, Network Building, and Possibility of Closing the Digital Divide

Abstract

The digital divide is described by technology experts and scholars as the disparity between digitally literate individuals with access to broadband internet and internet communications technologies (ICTs) and those who do not have access to ICTs nor possess digital skills. Approximately 19 million Americans, 6 percent of the population, are without reliable internet service. In Detroit, Michigan, approximately 40 percent of city residents live without an at home internet connection making it the most digitally disconnected city in the United States. Economic, social, and political factors have contributed to this high number of disconnected residents. Any resident affected by digital inequities faces daily challenges in accessing and navigating simple services. These inequities impact a Detroit resident's ability to find employment to provide for their family, a student's ability to complete a homework assignment, and an older citizen's ability to access healthcare services and pay their bills. Affected residents also miss out on being part of the political conversation. The digital divide can impact a resident's ability to access news, research political candidates, and register to vote for the first time. The digital divide must be understood as a spectrum, it is not binary. It is complex, manifested by a history of inequalities between countries, nations, and communities. Solutions in this space require a great deal of organizational collaboration, data gathering, and local expertise. Scholarly research has highlighted that grassroots efforts usually catalyze the solutions in this space, and local community nonprofits know the impacts for those most affected intimately and accurately. However, there is a scarcity of published academic work on the digital divide in Detroit particularly assessing the needs and work of residents and community leaders. We still don't know how these local change makers working in nonprofits, public sectors, and academia are viewing the digital divide. There is not much data on how they interact with one another or if their needs and behaviors share patterns. Lastly, we don't know how these stakeholders measure their success. This research seeks to begin to answer these questions using a primarily qualitative approach. I focus this work on local leadership in the non-profit and public sectors in Detroit. Based on qualitative research and secondary data collection through 8 interviews with community leaders, my research provides insight into how these leaders of the digital inclusion and equity efforts in Detroit see the current state of the digital divide, what they are doing about it, and what they believe they need to successfully reach their goals. These findings provide insights to what future collaborative efforts and relationships might look like as well as highlights suggestions and next steps for this work to continue.