The Digital Divide: A Migration Story

The digital divide did not begin with the internet; it began with movement. The Digital Divide: A Migration Story traces how the Great Migration and other historical movements across Illinois shaped today's patterns of digital access, trust, and opportunity. Drawing from her research as the Director of Digital Equity for Cook County and as a Marjorie and Charles Benton Opportunity Fellow, Kyla Williams Tate connects the past to the present through stories, data, and lived experience. This program invites audiences to see digital equity not just as a technological goal but as a continuation of a long journey toward freedom, connection, and belonging.

Blending lecture, storytelling, and performance, Kyla engages audiences through poetry, dialogue, and reflection. Participants will hear stories rooted in Illinois history, explore community-driven strategies for digital inclusion, and leave with a deeper understanding of how migration continues to shape access today. Through art and evidence, this presentation reminds us that bridging the digital divide requires both infrastructure and imagination, and that every story of movement carries lessons for how we build a more connected Illinois.