Black Brilliance Research Firm Receives $3M Grant from the Government

Black Brilliance Research (BBR) firm announced on March 14 that it had been awarded an Internet for All Grant. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration provided this funding. The BBR firm won the grant alongside the University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) for the Connect Across Tacoma project. This grant was part of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to expanding internet access.

Furthermore, with the $3 million funding, the BBR will support its objective of promoting digital equity and inclusion. On its part, the Connect Across Tacoma project gives out laptops to in-need students and members of the Tacoma project. The company will do this through the Black Brilliance Research project, which enrolls households with Internet subscriptions. It also provides digital stewards to increase digital literacy in the community. These initiatives are the vision of Jay Inslee, the Governor of Washington State.

The Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program is an aspect of the Biden-Harris Administration’s initiative. Its objective is to provide all U.S. citizens with affordable and reliable high-speed internet. This program uses $268 million from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. It aims to expand high-speed internet access and connectivity to eligible schools and colleges. This includes HBCUs, Tribal Colleges or Universities (TCUs), and other Minority-serving institutions (MSIs).

In addition, the Lead Researcher and Director of Black Brilliance Research, Shaun Glauze, said that the funding would help their efforts to bridge the digital divide. He also said it would empower underserved communities with the tools to thrive in the digital age.

The Black Brilliance Research team is a black-led collaboration of community members and organizations. Its members mainly stay in Seattle, Washington, and other surrounding areas. The members also assembled the Black Brilliance Research team during the George Floyd uprising. They created it to be the black community’s center in conversations about black liberation. The $3 million grant will include the work of teams in Tacoma and Pierce County in Washington.