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MMTC Education and Training Initiatives
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National Urban League and MMTC
Stress the Importance of
Registered Apprenticeships for HBCUs during the
CASE Broadband Summit
On November 15th and 16th, 2018, in recognition of the Department of Labor's National Apprenticeship Week, the National Urban League (NUL), the Urban League of Central Carolinas (ULCC) and the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) amplified the importance of registered apprenticeships for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) during the Carolinas Alliance for Success in Education (CASE) Broadband Summit, themed "HBCUs as Engines for Economic Growth: Smart HBCUs Disrupting the Digital Divide - Connecting Campuses to Communities through Broadband," on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Representatives from 18 HBCUs participated in the Summit: Allen University, Barber-Scotia College, Benedict College, Bennett College, Claflin University, Clinton College, Denmark Technical College, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Morris College, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, North Carolina Central University, Shaw University, South Carolina State University, St. Augustine's College, Voorhees College, and Winston Salem State University.
During the three-day summit, Ron Marlow, Vice President of Workforce Development for NUL, Teddy McDaniel, President and CEO of the Urban League of Central Carolinas (ULCC), and Maurita Coley Flippin, President and CEO of MMTC, participated in a town hall and a luncheon plenary
panel, moderated by former FCC Commissioner Hon. Mignon L. Clyburn, that engaged HBCU administrators on apprenticeship training as a value-add to two- or four- year college education and a solution to the "skills gap."
Highlights included presentations by Johnathan M. Holifield, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Maureen Lewis, Director of Minority Telecommunications Development for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA); Diane Bowles, Ph.D, Vice President, Government-Sponsored Programs and Research, Johnson C. Smith University; and Tanaga A. Boozer, Office of Education and Outreach, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, among others.
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MMTC Chief of Staff Dorrissa Griffin Speaks at Congressional Briefing Discussing 'From Consumers to Creators: The Digital Lives of Black Consumers' Report
On December 4th, MMTC Staff Counsel and Chief of Staff Dorrissa Griffin joined a panel held by the Multicultural Media Caucus and Nielsen, "Forging the Future: Trendsetting Digital Adopters, Public Policy & Social Change," where the panel discussed Nielsen's latest findings in its report, "
From Consumers to Creators: The Digital Lives of Black Consumers."
Reta Jo Lewis, Director of Congressional Affairs and a Senior Fellow at the German Marshall Fund, served as moderator, and other panelists included Cheryl Grace, SVP, U.S. Strategic Community Alliances and Consumer Engagement at Nielsen; Francella Ochillo, Vice President of Policy and General Counsel at the National Hispanic Media Coalition; Orchid Richardson, Vice President and Managing Director at Data Center of Excellence; and John Yang, President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC.
Grace opened the discussion with a presentation on Nielsen's latest findings on the digital consumption and purchasing power of African American consumers and overall insights from Nielsen Diverse Intelligence Series reports. The panel focused on the "digital" aspect of the behavior of multicultural consumers, with panelists showcasing and discussing the importance of understanding consumer behaviors in diverse communities so that policymakers can make informed decisions.
[Read More on the Report's Findings and the Panel Discussion]
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MMTC Spectrum Policy VP Dr. Rikin Thakker Moderates
DC5G Summit Panel
On November 12th, Dr. Rikin Thakker, MMTC's Vice President of Telecommunications and Spectrum Policy, moderated a panel discussion on
"Winning the Global Race to 5G: Why it all Comes Down to Policy and the Pace of Infrastructure Deployment"
at the
DC5G Summit
.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has publicly stated that its primary mission over the next few years is to ensure that the United States wins the race to full 5G deployment, while allowing private industry to ultimately determine how it will be done. This presents a unique challenge for the U.S. telecommunications industry - how can it get investment capital, government policy, and commercial markets moving at the same speed to outpace international infrastructure developments? How can industry leverage government support in a way that puts the nation at an advantage in the race to 5G?
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MMTC Law and Policy Initiatives
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MMTC Asks NTIA to Protect Diverse Groups in
Consumer Privacy Letter
MMTC has filed a letter with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), asking the agency to consider the needs of low-income, minority consumers and small businesses as it develops the Administration's approach to consumer privacy. The
full letter is available on MMTC's website and summarized below.
The Case for Protecting Consumer Privacy
In a Request for Comments (RFC) on "Developing the Administration's Approach to Consumer Privacy," NTIA outlines a broad framework that focuses on a set of high-level goals and user-centric privacy outcomes designed to balance consumer protection with organizational flexibility in achieving those goals and outcomes. As the nation continues to face a persistent digital divide, with profound disparities in broadband adoption based on race, location, and wealth, it is vital that NTIA and the Administration continue to develop this approach with these concerns in mind.
[Read More]
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MMTC Asks Congress to Support the
'Digital Goods and Service Act of 2018'
 On December 13, 2018, MMTC sent a letter to House and Senate Leaders asking them to support the "Digital Goods and Services Tax Fairness Act," which would set up a framework that states could follow to impose taxes fairly on the digital economy, if and only if, they choose to tax such commerce. The bill would not mandate any state to tax a digital good or service or establish any sort of national sales tax on digital commerce, setting up a system to determine which state has the right to tax digital goods. Currently, consumers can be subject to taxes from multiple states when they make a purchase online, due to numerous factors. [Read More]
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Charter Communications Celebrates
MMTC, LULAC, and USHCC's
New Leadership and Diversity
Charter Communications hosted a reception to welcome Maurita Coley Flippin, President. MMTC;
Ramiro Cavazos, President, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC); and
Sindy Benavides, President, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) on November 29th at its offices in Washington, D.C. In her remarks, Coley Flippin discussed the value of corporate/nonprofit partnerships to eliminating the persistent digital divide that prevents low income communities of color from fully participating in the digital economy, and what Charter Communications is doing to help bridge the gaps.
Learn more about Charter's commitment to improve and impact diverse communities and lives where their customers and employees live and work.
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Hon. Marie C. Johns Hosts
A Special Evening
Celebrating
MMTC
"Uplifting Diverse Voices: Then & Now"
Hon. Marie C. Johns,
the managing member of Leftwich, LLC and founder and president of Leftwich Consulting, and former Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, hosted an intimate celebration of MMTC's legacy of service on December 3rd. MMTC Chairman Dr. Ronald Johnson welcomed fellow board members and over 30 guests from the media, telecom, and tech industries. MMTC President Maurita Coley Flippin shared her vision for MMTC and why MMTC's diversity and inclusion mission are needed now more than ever before in its 32 year history.
Special guests included former FCC Commissioners Hon. Mignon Clyburn, a Leadership in Government Fellow at the Open Society Foundation; Jonathan Adelstein, President, Wireless Infrastructure Association; MMTC Board members Ari Fitzgerald, a partner at Hogan Lovells, Francisco Montero, a partner at Fletcher Heald & Hildreth; Deborah Lathen, President, Lathen Consulting; Brent Wilkes, Former President, LULAC; Loretta Polk, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel of the NCTA - The Internet & Television Association; Rachel C. Welch, Senior Vice President, Policy and External Affairs, Charter Communications; Lawrence Cooper, General Counsel, DC Government Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment; Diane Holland, Vice President, US Telecom; John Seiver and Robin Nunn, law partners at Davis Wright Tremaine; Ralph Everett, former President and CEO of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies; Leonade Jones, independent board director; former treasurer, The Washington Post; Jim Winston, President and CEO, National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters; Howard Woolley, telecom and tech consultant and philanthropist; Debra Berlyn, Founder, Project GOAL (Getting Older Adults Online); Joycelyn Tate of the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation; Michael G. Spencer, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus, Cornell University; Keith Jacobs, President and CEO, On Track Life Solutions, Inc.; Jonathan Banks, MMTC's community service intern and a senior at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, among notable others.
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Check out the event photos below.
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National BDPA Washington, D.C. Chapter
Honors MMTC President Maurita Coley Flippin
The
National Black Data Professionals Association's (BDPA) Washington, D.C. Chapter honored MMTC President and CEO Maurita Coley Flippin with the 2018 President's Award for Community Service at the 40th Anniversary Community & Technology Awards Gala, on November 30th.
Perry Carter, President, BDPA Washington, presented the award to Coley Flippin.
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Federal Communications Bar Association's
Highlights from Chairman's Dinner
On December 6th, MMTC President and CEO Maurita Coley Flippin attended the Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA)
32
nd
Annual Chairman's Dinner that raises money for the FCBA Foundation's charitable and educational projects. "Chairman Pai's roast provided a perfect balance of sarcasm, and praise, of industry and nonprofit notables, and FCC staff, and a unifying video filmed with fellow commissioners; it was an inspiring evening," said Coley Flippin. Tens of thousands of scholarship dollars were awarded to diverse law students by communications industry firms. Coley served on the founding board of the FCBA Foundation, and on its Executive Committee and Diversity Committee. See above photo highlights of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai giving remarks, and Coley Flippin celebrating the retirement of Davis Wright Tremaine partner Paul Glist with Hon. Mignon Clyburn, former FCC Commissioner, and Chris Savage, partner, Davis Wright Tremaine.
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MMTC Talks to Michelle Ray, the New Executive Director
of the Walter Kaitz Foundation
MMTC spoke with Michelle Ray, the newly installed Executive Director of the Walter Kaitz Foundation, about her new role and the Kaitz Foundation's 2018 and 2019 programming and events including the annual Kaitz Dinner that was held in October
during Cable Diversity Week.
The Walter Kaitz Foundation
is a nonprofit organization that advocates, and serves as a catalyst, for diversity within the media and telecommunications industries by supporting people and programs that make a difference.
Listen to the episode
here.
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MMTC's October and November
Social Media Highlights
Learn more about MMTC's work by visiting our Wakelet Blog:
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Donate to the Hon. Henry M. Rivera Fellowship:
Help Expand MMTC's Work in Media, Telecom & Tech!
With our nonpartisan values of diversity and inclusion, MMTC continues to pursue our work with great determination notwithstanding our modest resources.
We
offer our sincere appreciation for support in helping us deliver our world-class advocacy, convenings, and policy leadership in industries regulated by the Federal Communications Commission.
TO SUPPORT MMTC, YOU CAN DONATE IN TWO WAYS:
- Fellowship: Help the next generation of media and telecom lawyers and policy professionals to advocate on behalf of our nation's multicultural, women, and underserved communities by investing in the new Henry M. Rivera Fellowship. Other fellowships you are invited to support are the Cathy Hughes and Earle K. Moore fellowships.
- General: Make a donation to general support.
MMTC is recognized by the IRS under 26 U.S.C. ยง501(c)(3). All contributions are tax-deductible.
Thank You - Your support makes it possible for MMTC to serve as an advocate for diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity in the nation's most important industries!
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The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) is a non-partisan, national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving equal opportunity in the mass media, telecom and broadband industries, and closing the digital divide. MMTC is generally recognized as the nation's leading advocate for multicultural advancement in communications. We strongly believe that the breathtaking changes in communications technology and the new global forms of media partnerships must enhance diversity in the 21st century.
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