When people relied on the internet for remote work, connecting to friends and family, virtual learning, and more economic and social needs during the pandemic, it became clear that internet access is a human right. The documentary Deeper than a Div/de from MediaJustice showed how “the digital divide became a gaping chasm for those unable to move their work and lives online.”
The rural South, especially communities with large Black populations are among the most disconnected communities in the U.S. The filmmakers talked to people in Utica, Mississippi about their stories and history of the town up to their experience of the digital divide. A viewing guide for Deeper than A Div/de dives into more of Utica’s history and the overlapping issues of redlining, segregationist policy, monopolies, and barriers to civic participation that contribute to people in Utica and towns like it accessing resources.
