NEW ORLEANS (6/3/2021) - Louisiana Black Women's Roundtable is working to help build consumer awareness about the Emergency Broadband Benefit, a new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program. The temporary benefit will help to lower the cost of broadband service for eligible households during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The $3.2B Emergency Broadband Benefit program provides a discount of up to a $50 per month toward broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for qualifying households on qualifying Tribal lands. The benefit also provides up to a $100 per household discount toward a one-time purchase of a computer, laptop, or tablet if the household contributes more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase through a participating broadband provider.

 

A household is eligible if one member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:

  

Emergency Broadband Benefit enrollment period is available now. Eligible households can enroll through a participating broadband provider or directly with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) using an online or mail-in application. Additional information about the Emergency Broadband Benefit is available at www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit, or by calling 833-511-0311 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. any day of the week

The Black Women's Roundtable (BWR) is the women and girls leadership development, mentoring, intergenerational empowerment & power building arm of The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.

The BWR promotes health and wellness, economic security & sustainability, education and global empowerment as key elements for success. BWR established its Intergenerational Policy Network in 2008, which is comprised of a diverse group of Black women civic leaders representing international, national, regional, and state-based organizations and institutions. Together, the BWR membership represents the issues and concerns of women and girls who live across the United States and around the world.

To learn more about the Louisiana Unity Coalition's Black Women's Roundtable, contact Louisiana's BWR Convener Gwendolyn Hughes at GwendolynBWR@gmail.com.

The Louisiana Unity Coalition is an affiliate of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), is a 501©3, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to increasing civic engagement and voter participation in Black and underserved communities. The National Coalition has a national membership of organizations representing a diverse constituency base including civil rights, labor, and business organizations; fraternities and sororities; women, youth, educators, faith leaders, public policy makers, researchers, and others.

The National Coalition was founded on May 6, 1976. For nearly 40 years, The National Coalition has served as an effective convener and facilitator at the local, state, and national levels of efforts to address the disenfranchisement of underserved and other marginalized communities through civic engagement including: ​

As a State affiliate, we serve as the lead entity for NCBCP's local initiatives which engage state-based organizations to lead, organize and implement non-partisan efforts centered around Voter Engagement, Registration, Assistance & Voter Protection. Activities include Field & Online Outreach; Poll Monitor Recruitment Drive; Get Out the Vote (GOTV) Campaign; Debate Watch Parties, Spill the Tea & Field Outreach events among others.

The National Coalition strives to create an enlightened community by engaging people in all aspects of public life through service/volunteerism, advocacy, leadership development, and voting.

Black Youth Vote! (BYV) is the youth-led civic engagement arm of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. Black Youth Vote’s mission is to train, invest and provide Black youth and young adults with civic engagement, organizing and civic leadership opportunities------focused on Millennials, Generation Z and Returning Citizens (18 – 35 yrs. old). Black Youth Vote! is focused on leveraging the power of the black youth electorate to make positive social change and win on the issues they care about in their communities, including: racial & economic justice, college affordability, criminal justice/policing reform, affordable health care, workers’ rights, voting rights, human rights and more! For more information visit:

www.unitycampaign.org.