By Megan Sayles
AFRO Business Writer
msayles@afro.com
When Devin Jackson first discovered that 40 percent of Baltimoreans did not have wireline internet service and more than 25 percent lacked a digital device, he was in disbelief.
The East Baltimore native has spent much of his career in e-commerce and social media marketing. As a result, his livelihood hinged on accessing the internet and using a device.
“You can have my house itself because I can buy another house,” said Jackson. “But, if you take my internet away from me, I can’t function. I wouldn’t be able to feed my family because that’s what I do for a living.”
The value of the internet and devices was not only apparent to him but critical to maintain employment.
A few years ago, Jackson experienced a cancer scare after discovering a tumor on his throat. His fear pushed him to turn to prayer to cope with the challenging time. In his reflection, he discerned that his calling was to impact people. The realization led him to leave the marketing world.
Jackson set out to leave his mark on people’s lives by creating A Prosperous Tomorrow, a nonprofit seeking to eradicate digital inequities by empowering communities with digital and technology skills, in 2023.
Although his organization is young, Jackson has already hit the ground running, leading workshops and classes to help people become more comfortable with technology and to equip them with workforce skills.
“The idea is to get people to see the internet and technology differently while also accepting that people have different barriers,” said Jackson. “One of the barriers is anxiety.”
Jackson explained that, for some people, learning about information technology (IT), cybersecurity or other technology fields can be intimidating. But, once they start, it becomes much more feasible.
A Prosperous Tomorrow’s programming comprises six phases.They include developing the whole person, preparation for technology, certification and skill enhancement, coaching and mentoring, job placement and strategy and program extended services.
The organization runs 12-week cohorts during the school year and six- to 10-week cohorts during the summer for residents ages 16 to 21. The free classes take place at the newly renovated Middle Branch Fitness and Wellness Center and prepare participants for industry-recognized certifications, like CompTIA and Amazon Web Services.
The nonprofit also regularly hosts workshops at libraries around the city to expose Baltimoreans to technology careers and the avenues to pursue them. Jackson said Baltimore’s recent designation as a Federal Tech Hub has made his efforts even more critical.
“If Baltimore is a Federal Tech Hub destination and Baltimore is also a digitally illiterate city, that means the new jobs that will be created are not for us. People are going to migrate to Baltimore,” said Jackson. “All this money is coming in, and you won’t have the skills to get that job. If you don’t scale up, you’re going to be in trouble.”
Currently, Jackson is seeking funding to expand the work of A Prosperous Tomorrow. He recently applied to the second round of the city’s Digital Equity Fund, which will deploy grants to organizations tackling digital literacy, skill-building and creative careers training to communities most affected by the digital divide.
Jackson submitted proposals for a digital education program aimed at older adults and a content creation class. For him, achieving digital equity will help to mitigate other challenges that residents face in the city, whether health care access, educational disparities or economic inequality.
“The use of artificial intelligence and all of the technologies we have at our disposal are going to help people lead better lives,” said Jackson. “In my world, if you’re focusing on digital equity and inclusion, you’ll solve a lot of other problems.”
For 21-year-old Braelen Cypress, it was his uncle who put him on the path to finding A Prosperous Tomorrow. His uncle works in IT, and Cypress began to become interested in the field after talking to him about it.
He learned about the organization’s work while scrolling on Instagram and reached out to Jackson last year. Cypress previously tried another tech skills class, but it was conducted online.
“I didn’t really like the online part. I couldn’t focus on it, so I didn’t stick with it,” said Cypress. “But, I still had an interest in IT, so I found the proper program. I passed, and I’m sticking with it.”
While he was drawn to the hands-on nature of the class, a key driver of Cypress’ persistence was Jackson’s support.
“The reason why I stayed was Mr. Devon. He made me more committed to it just by the way he explained things,” said Cypress. “He had people who were actually in IT come in at times to talk to us about how they got into the business. I like the fact that [Mr. Devon] had proof of someone being in it.”
A Prosperous Tomorrow prepared Cypress for the CompTIA Security+ certification, an industry standard for attaining a career in IT security. Soon, he will take the exam.
Cypress will also be attending Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) this fall. Right now, he’s 50-50 on whether he should pursue an IT or cybersecurity degree.
“Mr. Devon is definitely a good person to talk to if you need information or help with anything, period,” said Cypress. “He’s a very honest person, and if you need someone to talk to you who’s in the business, he will do that.”
This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBC Universal.
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