Tyrone D. Taborn, CEO and publisher of Career Communications Group, recently participated in a panel at the 2025 National Action Network (NAN) annual convention in New York City.
The National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the United States, with chapters across the country. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN operates in the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., promoting a civil rights agenda focused on justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all.
During one seminar, moderator Rev. Steffie Bartley, senior pastor of The New Hope Baptist Church in Elizabeth, NJ, and a member of NAN's national board of directors, asked Taborn about how digital exclusion limits career opportunities for young people, how the lack of access impacts their chances of securing good jobs, and what steps can be taken to ensure equal opportunities for everyone.
Responding from the 2:40 mark to the 3:13 mark, Taborn recounted that more than 20 years ago, Tavis Smiley had asked him to write a chapter on technology for his book Covenant with Black America. In that chapter, Taborn addressed the digital divide. Unfortunately, he observed that the push to close this digital gap had already been lost.
When the microprocessor was created, communities fought for civil rights but were not present when billions of dollars were being allocated.
In a more recent edition of Covenant with Black America, Taborn said he focused his chapter on the current work being done in the realm of digital agency.
He emphasized that people can move beyond the digital divide and begin to explore unprecedented opportunities, particularly with the decentralization of data.
People who own our data have the hardware and all our information. The currency of the future is your digital agency and your digital presence, Taborn stated.
He elaborated that this creates opportunities for various businesses.
For instance, Career Communications Group developed the STEM City metaverse platform, enabling anyone, anywhere in the world, to access digital twins within the Metaverse.
Taborn explained, There is a disruption happening now where our community can be at the forefront of technology. Artificial intelligence is our friend. The Metaverse is our friend. Blockchain is our friend.
He stressed that those who understand the jobs being created in this landscape will see legacy companies needing to improve their hardware and software to engage with digital agencies and adapt to AI advancements.
Finally, Taborn concluded by highlighting the need for these technologies to foster new industries. He symbolically compared this potential to holding a 52-card deck of cards, urging attendees to take a moment to appreciate human creativity and ingenuity.