Technology is an essential tool afforded to South Carolina’s underserved communities, specifically when it comes to ensuring equal opportunities for Black small business owners. However, Congress continues to consider laws that will slow tech innovation and disincentivize companies from sharing their products to smaller competitors, potentially affecting over 400,000 small businesses in the state of South Carolina. Policymakers must prioritize tech innovation to provide equitable opportunities to our communities and ensure future economic development for all.
As president and CEO of Urban League of the Upstate, it is my priority to advocate for resources and tools needed for Black and other underserved communities to succeed in South Carolina. However, our leaders in Congress are not looking at their anti-innovation legislation with a critical lens. Laws under consideration, such as the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, are disguised to support consumers, when they really take away opportunities from small businesses. Passage of this bill in its current state would disincentivize large tech platforms from providing small businesses access to a large consumer base, leaving them less profitable.
As the sector expands in our state, there are more job opportunities, allowing the promotion of equitable opportunities and lead diversification in tech across the nation. Technology also supports economic stability and education by providing students with the opportunity to work in a high-paying sector out of college. By empowering South Carolina’s underserved communities, we are contributing to real positive change that will have long-lasting impacts on the lives of our residents alongside strengthening our state’s economy and presence in the tech sector.
As tech companies continue to grow, states like South Carolina should be at the forefront of advancing equity. Restrictive policies not only risk the global advantage the U.S. has in technological innovation, but they also risk undermining vital equitable opportunities and diversification efforts that are afforded to underserved youth, a consequence that is especially detrimental when considering tech’s ability to empower disadvantaged communities. Our leaders must consider the potential harm of anticompetitive proposals, particularly as they relate to innovation, economy, diversification, and equitable opportunity. South Carolina has been presented an opportunity to create a more equitable state, which should not be ignored.
Dr. Gail Wilson Awan is an author and the president and chief executive officer of Urban League of The Upstate, a nonprofit organization that provides education, employment and housing services for economically disadvantaged Upstate communities.
