Ferguson, MO protesters in March. Scott Olson/Getty Images
Big time Silicon Valley venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and his wife Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, an educator and philanthropist, have partnered with Hewlett-Packard to provide $170,000 worth of tech equipment including computers to libraries in Ferguson, MO and Baltimore. Marc Andreessen is on the H-P board. The couple is spending $50,000 on the equipment, but getting $170,000 worth of technology in return.
“Libraries became in essence the heart of Ferguson and Baltimore amidst a time of immense darkness for so many,” said Arrillaga-Andreessen in an interview with USA Today. With that in mind, the couple felt this was a good place to direct their philanthropy.
It doesn’t sound like a ton, but these are the small steps being taken to close the technology gap, which has an impact on the educational and professional prospects of underserved communities. There are rural communities in this country that don’t have internet access at all. According to the Census Bureau, 21 percent of Americans don’t have internet service.
Libraries provide free service in this instance, to children who are doing research and homework, adults conducting a job search, or just people looking to see why everyone is talking about the latest viral video.
The Ferguson Library also became a refuge for local citizens and hundreds of children, who made the library their classroom during the protests. When people outside of the city found out, donations poured in to the tune of $453,000, more than its usual budget for the year.
The same happened in Baltimore, where 20 to 40 percent of people don’t have internet access. Many of their computers are broken or in need of updating.
