Your Turn Kristi Yamaguchi Guest columnist 4B SUNDAY, MAY 5, 2024 ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT CHRONICLE OPINION The First Amendment Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Michael Kilian, Executive Editor Mid-Atlantic States Group Editor, USA TODAY Network. We choose our syndicated columnists to present a diverse range of perspectives each Sunday. EDITORIAL BOARD Congress can help bridge digital divide hen I started skating at 6 years old, I idolized Dorothy Hamill so much that I had a Dorothy doll and would perch her on the edge of the rink to watch me twirl on the ice. Fourteen years later, I followed her path to become the American female skater to win Olympic gold since Dorothy did in 1976.
And now, three decades later, Barbie is honoring me with my own doll as the newest addition to its Inspiring Women Series. Six-year-old me never would have imagined be where I am today. And who knows what I been more thrilled about: winning an Olympic gold medal or having my own Barbie. But I only got here because I was able to discover my dreams as a young girl and have the support and determination to achieve them. In this chapter of my life, I want to give kids that same chance to their passions and relentlessly pursue them.
But a key ingredient to this, and it starts with having a wild imagination and role models whom you can look up to. There are multiple ways we can cultivate an imaginative spirit in kids. Books, for example, un- lock imaginations, and where dreams are born. When children open up a book, they open up their world. I think doll play has the same power.
From winning Olympic gold to establishing Always Dream My Dorothy doll was not just a piece of decoration on the ice rink; it helped me discover a dream deep within and inspired me to trust that I was worthy of it. I hope that my Barbie Inspiring Women doll does the same for children who are exploring their futures and available to them. Once I achieved that dream of winning an Olym- pic gold medal in 1992, I felt like there was something more I could do. I had so much support as a young skater from my family, community and coaches and I wanted the same opportunity for other kids. Through working with children and raising my own girls, I quickly realized that a success in life starts with a foundational education and an in- terest in reading.
In 1996, I established Always Dream, a organization that aims to in- crease literacy by providing access to books and encouraging families to read together. The name comes from how I signed when I used to do autographs Dream, a piece of inspiration taken from Brian Boitano, who once gave me an autograph signed with the remind- er: your What would be bigger than winning a gold medal? I be more thrilled that as part of our part- nership, Barbie will be donating to my organization and helping to empower Asian American women and girls, while also increasing educational re- sources for all young girls. As a mother of two daughters, grateful for how far come in encouraging young girls to dream big and I know that work to tell more diverse stories has played a part in that. When I was 20, I did not look like most American skaters let alone an Olympic gold medalist. But through the power of my imagination and looking to women who had come before me, I dis- covered my passions, pushed through the obstacles and dared to make my dreams become a reality.
Your Turn Michael N. Romita and Christopher Fisher Guest columnists Over the past decade, the New York and Federal governments have spent more than $1 billion in an attempt to close the digital divide. But the goal of universal connectivity has proved elusive. Here in Westchester County, more than 50,000 households continue to lack reliable, fast internet service. Mi- norities are particularly hard hit.
According to a recent survey by the Westchester Community Foundation, compared to similar counties, West- chester had the lowest percentage of Black households with internet access and with Black and Hispanic house- holds in Yonkers particularly falling be- hind their white counterparts. New York has a plan to address this digi- tal by spending an additional $1.4 billion on expanding broad- band infrastructure statewide. But infrastructure is just one piece of the puzzle, and the infrastructure invest- ment will be for naught if low-income households to connect. Enter the national Con- nectivity Program, or ACP. The ACP was created in 2021 as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law to make high-speed internet more able.
It has been wildly successful. The ACP helps one in six families across the nation to internet ac- cess, now a necessity for participating in the broader economy. Over the past three years, the pro- gram has provided over 40,000 house- holds in Westchester County with a $30 monthly discounted internet bill. To harness the promise of the ACP, the Westchester County Association to- gether with the STEM Alliance and oth- er partners launched two kind, digital connectivity initiatives, the Yonkers-based YZone and the county- wide Connect Westchester. These nationally recognized pilots have been abundantly in build- ing digital equity and strengthening communities while growing the local economy.
Data collected from these initiatives and analyzed by the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society highlight the critical importance of the ACP for access to job training, schoolwork, lit- eracy, telemedicine and governmental services all of which leads to lower unemployment and greater economic mobility. Here in Westchester, ACP connectiv- ity made possible by these WCA pro- grams means an annual 2.7% increase in household income for program par- ticipants. But the ACP has run out of money and, unless Congress acts, the program will expire. A recent FCC survey concluded that, absent continued funding, over of the households enrolled in the ACP could reduce or drop their internet ser- vice altogether. Essentially, after building trust and reliance through funding, Congress will pull the rug out from under these fam- ilies.
wind down also jeopardizes a $42.5 billion appropriation for new rural broadband and digital equity initiatives across the country. Absent an ACP-funded subscriber base, the return on new taxpayer-fund- ed broadband investments and digital equity programming (particularly those involving coveted public-private part- nerships) cannot be guaranteed. Congress can still make this right. The bipartisan and bicameral able Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024 would add $7 billion in stop- gap funding while policymakers ALWAYS DREAM I hope my Barbie helps others go for gold Kristi Yamaguchi, who became the Asian American to win an individual skating gold medal, at the 1992 Winter Olympics, has been immortalized as a doll for Inspiring Women Series in 2024. The release is timed for May, Asian American and Islander Heritage Month.
PROVIDED BY MATTEL; JUNJI IMAGES; AND ABEL MUNIZ TODAY NETWORK PHOTO ILLUSTRATION See YAMAGUCHI, Page 6B See DIVIDE, Page 6B.
