B. Keith Fulton, director of technology for the National Urban League, decried the disparity in access to technology between whites and minorities in a speech Saturday in the Chemistry Auditorium.
About 25 students attended the event, which was sponsored by Brothers United Celebrating Knowledge and Success (B.U.C.K.S.).
"There is an uneven distribution of technology and related know-how," Fulton said in his remarks on the "digital divide."
He emphasized the need not only to provide minorities with access to computer equipment, but also to teach them the skills needed to succeed in today's technology-driven economy.
There should be a support network for minorities in an increasingly complex technological world, he added.
"Just because [the government] is dissolving welfare, people still need help," he said, calling for assistance and training for minorities in these fields.
Minorities often do not receive sufficient education and training to compete in the job market and are "relegated to low-wage, low-skill labor opportunities," as a result, he said.
Fulton also said the recent proliferation of high-paying jobs in technology-related industries provides a golden opportunity for businesses to hire minorities.
Companies can "tap talent and enthusiasm to bring new wealth to [minority] neighborhoods," he said.
He added that the technology industry would not succeed unless talented and skilled people fueled it.
"Human capital is critically important," Fulton said.
Because many jobs in the computer industry came into existence only within the past few years, young people are able to attain the same expertise as older workers in the industry.
"We're all learning right now in this new economy," he said.
Fulton highlighted the National Urban League's efforts to make computers more affordable for minorities.
The National Urban League is the first organization to sell certified pre-owned personal computers to minorities.
The National Urban League, founded in 1910, works to promote the interests of blacks through research, service and advocacy.
Fulton stressed the difficulty of finding and retaining professionals who are committed to helping train minorities to use computers.
But computer experts often abandon work with charitable organizations like the National Urban League for higher-paying jobs, he said.
He added that it also is difficult to obtain up-to-date computer equipment for the purpose of training minorities, since many of the donations the National Urban League receives are of old or malfunctioning computers.
"People want to give you their junk," he said.
Ryan Coleman-Ferebee, University relations chair for B.U.C.K.S, said he felt Fulton's message was well-received.
"He was very knowledgeable about the digital divide and gave some pertinent information for students," he said.
Fulton advised students to use the skills they have learned at the University to teach younger disadvantaged students and encourage them to go to college.
"It will take a bold approach - not just charity - to bring these poor kids along," he said.
Minority neighborhoods need to make technology a priority to be more prosperous, he added.
"They have to decide between high-tops and high-tech," Fulton said.
More research needs to be done to prove that investment in technology leads to improvements in education, so that "people like Rush Limbaugh won't say that we should be building more prisons" instead of investing in technology, he added.
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