We’ve spent the better part of two decades closing the digital divide. That fight was personal for me. It was about making sure every child—especially Black and Brown children—could access the tools that define the future.
We pushed for broadband, we put laptops in schools, and we refused to let zip codes determine digital destiny. But just as that door starts to close, a new one is swinging wide open. The AI Divide is here—and if we’re not careful, it will be bigger, faster, and more devastating than anything we’ve seen before.
I’ll be real with you: as a man of color in technology, people don’t take me seriously. I’ve walked into boardrooms and been dismissed before I opened my mouth. I’ve had to prove my credibility three times over—just to be heard. But I don’t need validation. I know what I know. And I know this:
I Know Who I Am in This Space—Even When Others Don’t
I understand artificial intelligence and where it’s headed just as much as the people sitting in Silicon Valley C-suites and Capitol Hill briefings. And you know what?
Most of them are just as confused as the rest of us. They’re still figuring it out. Still trying to monetize it. Still playing chess with a game that hasn’t even revealed all the pieces. So why are we waiting for them to validate our participation?
Don’t Wait for Permission to Matter
If we sit back and wait for AI billionaires or any dominant culture to give us the green light to lead in AI, we will always be five steps behind. This is the truth: We live in a society that has marginalized our voices for generations. We've been told we don't matter, that our ideas aren't credible, that our leadership isn't worthy unless it's co-signed by someone who doesn't look like us.
And worse—we start to believe it. We start to distrust brilliance when it comes from our own communities. We wait for someone else to say, “Yes, this is valuable,” before we move. That mentality? That’s the real divide. We can’t afford to wait for validation. Not in this moment. Not with this technology. Not with this level of power on the line.
The Opportunity Is Real. But So Is the Danger
Artificial intelligence is already reshaping everything—education, medicine, media, transportation, justice. It’s here. And it’s accelerating. And yes, it’s being built on data that rarely represents us, by companies that often don’t reflect us, for systems that may not protect us.
If we don’t lead now—if we don’t teach our youth not just how to use AI, but how to own, shape, and govern it—we’ll be locked out of another trillion-dollar revolution. We’ll still be consumers, still on the margins, watching the train fly by with our names nowhere on the blueprint. But that’s not our only option.
We’re Not Behind—Unless We Choose to Be
This isn’t about playing catch-up. This is about realizing we’re already in the race, and we’ve got the talent, creativity, and community to lead it. Let me tell you something:
I’ve seen 14-year-olds write code that automates tasks that used to take entire departments. I’ve seen high schoolers in Detroit and Baltimore build AI models that diagnose diseases faster than some hospitals.
I’ve seen Black women launch startups that use machine learning to fight food insecurity, housing injustice, and police bias.
We are not behind. We are only behind if we choose not to believe in ourselves. And that belief? It has to start from within.
What We Must Do Now
We are beyond the digital divide. But we are staring down the AI divide—and we are the only ones who can stop it from becoming another generational failure.
Here's how:
- Refuse to be spectators.
- Don’t just use AI. Build with it. Break it. Question it. Evolve it.
- Invest in grassroots genius.
- Create AI clubs in our churches, barbershops, and community centers.
- Let knowledge circulate where we live.
- Validate ourselves. If someone in your community is doing the work, honor them.
- Don’t wait for a TED Talk or a Harvard citation.
- Control the narrative. Tell our stories. Document our wins.
- Archive our journey in this revolution.
Final Word: This Is Not About Technology—It’s About Power
The AI divide isn’t about who gets to use a chatbot. It’s about who gets to define reality in the decades ahead. This is not a time to wait. This is not a time to doubt. This is not a time to ask for permission. This is our moment. Our opportunity. Our revolution. Let’s not just be included in the future of AI. Let’s lead it.