Yesterday I attended the Third Annual Equity Summit, Belonging in Northeast Minnesota. The event was hosted by Northspan as part of of their Welcoming Community Program. There were themes of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. The focus on art was amazing. I wasn’t sure how much digital equity would be a part of the conversation. It was interesting to hear from local resources and specific digital programming.

Perhaps the most instructive moment for me was when a member of the welcome team commented on the difficult situation that youth are in today and noted that “maybe it was because of the internet”. It was a small glimpse and a powerful reminder that persuasion is still a part of digital equity. I knew that 25 years ago when I started teaching people about the Internet; it was super helpful to see that hesitation to use it is still there. It wasn’t the prevailing opinion – many people spoke about broadband as a tool to promote their area, reach new people, provide training, education, healthcare and more – but it is an opinion.

The event was informative, uplifting and inclusive. Keynote Jonathan Thunder was engaging and talked about how to use art as a community tool. (You can see his amazing art in the MSP airport!)