FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Leslie A. Dunbar

April 18, 2000 (212)558-5438 (day)

"We at the National Urban League applaud President Clinton’s announcement of more than $100 million in pledges from the computer industry for hard-luck communities nationwide.

Computer access and literacy are growing as key elements of the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ in a society that each day places significant emphasis on technology. We commend the Administration for its commitment to helping bridge the digital divide and working to ensure that all members of society are prepared to compete in the digital economy of the 21^st century.

For its part, to help ensure that its constituents are prepared to meet the job and academic demands of a society that is becoming increasingly more ‘wired,’ the National Urban League has pledged to equip all 114 of its affiliates with ‘Digital Campus’ community technology centers by the year 2006. These Digital Campus centers will provide community members with access to the latest hardware, software and the Internet, but most importantly, the skilled staff needed to teach entry-level technology skills. A report from the U.S. Department of Commerce shows that these community tech centers are key access points to technology for residents in low-income communities.

Access equity is not just about hardware and the Internet. It\'s about knowing how to use information tools for academic achievement and career advancement. There is a new basic -- reading, writing, arithmetic and information literacy - the ability to access, interpret and respond to information. Those who have it will be able to compete. Those who don\\\'t . . . won\\\'t."