Don’t call, send an email.
Don’t luaste gas going to
the mall, order something
on the net. Buging another CD?
UJhg not domnload gour fauorite
songs instead? It seems like
computers are taking ouer the
countrg and America is melcom-
ing it. Homeuer, it has been sug
gested that blacks mag not be
reacting to technologg in the
same numbers as other
races. Siona LaFrance
of Times-Picagune
neu)spaper ujrote an
article headlined,
African Americans,
“The Smallest but
y Fastest-Groujing
Ethnic Group Using the
Internet.”
LaFrance notes that
Forrester Research recentig dis-
couered that the number of
blacks using the Internet is still
loujer than ang other ethnic
group. This includes Latinos and
Asians, groups that haue feujer
numbers than blacks.
IDhg has it been so diffi
cult to attract more blacks to
the Internet in the first place?
Jacobe Foster, a UNC-CH senior,
has designed ujebsites for the
Bank of America, U.S. Olgmpic
Committee and UNC’s National
Pan-Hellenic Council. Foster
said, “Blacks nouj haue a reason
to consistently uisit the Internet
other than for academics. Noui
there are actual communities.”
Communities such as
BlackPlanet.com ask questions
like, “UJhat do gou appreciate
most about black culture and
black history?” Discussions are
held concerning black fraterni
ties and sororities and informa
tion is prouided about searching
for ancestors and family trees.
In addition, uiewers are free to
design their own ujeb pages,
helping them to meet other peo
ple with new ideas and uiew
other websites linked to black
issues.
“It’s like if you want to
see black businesses grow,”
Foster added, “People should
support the black websites that
are posted now.” But in order
for something to grow, people
haue to know it enists. This
could be one explanation for
whg there are not as many
blacks on the Internet. Perhaps
computers are not present in as
many black homes due to
expenses. Also, not all homes,
especially in black communities,
may be near a local library with
Internet access.
Parents may not find
introducing their children to
computers at a young age
important. Vet, increased expo
sure to the Internet is a neces
sity, whether it requires uisiting
places with Internet access or,
as Foster puts it, buging the
Gatewag ouer the Gameboy.
November 2000
16