Trump's DOGE Kills Georgia Internet Access Program For Black People

A program designed to expand internet access for rural and Black communities in Georgia was killed amid funding cuts led by Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The Digital Equity Capacity Program was a federal grant aimed at providing high-speed internet access to rural and low-income communities, with $22 million in funding directed to Georgia. Earlier this year, the grant was canceled by the Department of Commerce after Trump labeled it "a racist and illegal $2.5 billion giveaway" on his Truth Social platform, according to The Current.

The grants were designed to help Black and brown communities as well as seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and low-income families. Funding from the grant would have improved cell tower service across the state and provided access to fiber optic internet in rural communities like McIntosh County, where a third of the population is Black and the median income is $50,000. The plan also aimed to expand telehealth services and upgrade digital literacy to help vulnerable populations identify cyber and telephone scammers.

DOGE cuts also affected the Georgia Department of Public Health and various grants aimed at helping improve the lives of the state's Black population. Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), based in Georgia, lost $334 million in funding due to federal funding cuts. Several non-profits, including the Center for Black Women's Wellness and BLKHLTH Inc., an organization focused on vaccine equity in Georgia, lost $438,000 and nearly $500,000 in funding, respectively.

“We are a small nonprofit, and this was a million-dollar reimbursable grant, so that was a large percentage of our anticipated budget for the year,” BLKHLTH co-founder Kadijah Ameen said in a statement.

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