Letter to the Editor: Harper and Bell on Alexandria's Digital Divide

To the editor,

The last four years of my life, I have been a resident of the public housing development known as Hopkins-Tancil Court or "The Berg." I'm also a parent of children who attend Jefferson-Houston School.  

I'm a published author, an advocate for housing and children with special needs, workshop facilitator, motivational speaker, fourth-generation college graduate and many other "titles." I listed some of my accomplishments because none of those "titles" prevented me from experiencing financial hardships as a mother of four children.  

I'm writing this letter along with Sheryl Bell, who has been a tireless advocate in front of city council for housing, special needs children, and daycare providers. I'm like many women who live across this city who do an amazing job as mothers while working on rebuilding our financial and professional lives.
The digital divide is a reality and the lack of one basic computer in a house plays a major role with civic engagement and our professional lives. Many families do not own one personal computer in their household. Many families are not even able to keep the phone on consistently, because if you have to choose between "extras" like unexpected medicine for a sick child, a bus ride to the school, food, and so on... then of course as a parent you let the phone bill go by the wayside.

I have experienced how you can miss out on phone calls about employment, emails about employment, emails about what is happening with ACPS, emails about different city initiatives, allowing the children to do extra work on the computer after-school, or for some parents checking their child's grades online. 

If it wasn't for certain people in this city, a growing group of public housing residents and low-income women wouldn't have been able to attend as many School Board meetings on rainy nights (with our children in tow), Housing Meetings, training our children to speak publicly at these meetings, having literacy initiatives in our homes, attending town halls with neighborhood children, attending GW's "It Takes a Village" parent group, feeding neighborhood children, attending What's Next Alexandria, attending Jefferson-Houston PTA meetings and other civic engagement activities. 

If it wasn't for those people who have assisted us by filling in the gaps by also providing bookbag drives, or buying a child shoes for the winter season, we would be even further behind. 

This is what we are supposed to do like any other parent but it is challenging in my community to get mothers to come out when you can't reach them via the Internet or the phone because both are off. 

It is challenging to get a mother to think about another "meeting" and she is overwhelmed with gas/electric bills because she is unable to find steady work. The Housing Authority is mandated to provide certain efforts to assist residents with completing self-sufficiency. 

It is called the HUD Section 3 program, to promote residents to obtain their own businesses and employment. I publicly asked for numbers on how many residents have been hired and the numbers they gave out were embarrassing. This is supposed to be public information anyway. 

No one is looking for a hand out but like anyone else in life sometimes you need people to assist you on this journey called life. We are women and children who also add life and love to this city. My goal along with Sheryl Bell is to ensure that we leave many Alexandria families in a better place than when we arrived. What is the point of me living in public housing if I leave it exactly the same as when I arrived? 

We are going to secure different partners who would like to provide a computer to a family with a year's worth of Internet service for at least eight different low-income residents across the city.  Let's make this a livable city for all. The children, the city government, the school system, and the parents would really appreciate it! 

Nisa Harper and Sheryl Bell 
Concerned Alexandria Advocates