Trump Cuts Digital Equity Act Funding: Black Tech Nonprofit Loses $12M
The Trump Administration has cut funding for the Digital Equity Act (DEA), which was designed to address disparities in digital access across the US.
The DEA aimed to tackle digital equity gaps by supporting state and local efforts to build inclusive digital infrastructure and skills programs. It encouraged comprehensive digital equity plans across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, as well as grassroots projects led by communities and coalitions.
#BlackTechFutures Loses $12M Grant
Fallon Wilson, the founder and executive director of the #BlackTechFutures Research Institute, received an email from an official in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on May 20. The email read: “All Digital Equity Competitive and Digital Equity Capacity grant awards have been terminated, except for grants to Native Entities, which are pending further legal review,” as reported by Tech Policy Press.
Wilson’s project had been awarded nearly $12 million over four years to build public interest tech ecosystems in nine states, Washington, DC, and the US Virgin Islands. In partnership with HBCUs and Black churches, it planned to establish digital hubs offering internet access, shared workspaces, and tech training programs.
Fallon aired her frustrations in a LinkedIn post, saying, “I felt shattered and spent months grieving this loss.”
“That sadness only grew as conservative media began to troll my work, distorting our intentions, and when my organization was added to the Department of Government Efficiency’s so-called “Dodge list.”
Trump Administration cutting the DEA
After the funding was cut, President Donald Trump made an announcement on his Truth Social platform addressing programs like Wilson’s.
“I have spoken with my wonderful Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, and we agree that the Biden/Harris so-called “Digital Equity Act” is totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL. No more woke handouts based on race! The Digital Equity Program is a RACIST and ILLEGAL $2.5 BILLION DOLLAR giveaway. I am ending this IMMEDIATELY, and saving Taxpayers BILLIONS OF DOLLARS!”
The next day, the Commerce Department sent emails to a first tranche of grant recipients stating the government had concluded that the awards issued under the Digital Equity Act “were created with, and administered using, impermissible and unconstitutional racial preferences.”
Image: Francis Odeyemi
