On September 24th, One Economy welcomed more than 400 guests to our annual gala, oe9, at the NEWSEUM in Washington, DC where we showcased the transformative power of public purpose media. It was a special night for us - an opportunity to gather with friends, celebrate our achievements over the last nine years and look to the future of One Economy with the second season premiere of One Economy's online series Diary of a Single Mom, produced and directed by the award-winning Robert Townsend. Diary of a Single Mom, featured on the Public Internet Channel, is a ground-breaking online series that chronicles the lives of three single mothers trying get ahead despite obstacles that all single parents face.
Among the attendees were the full cast of Diary, including Billy Dee Williams, Richard Roundtree, Monica Calhoun; professional athletes Reggie Howard and Ray Lewis; American R&B and hip hop artist and single mom herself, Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, member of the four-time Grammy Award-winning group TLC; as well as Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League and Obama Administration officials.
One Economy also took this opportunity to honor two exceptional individuals. In honor of Jane Metcalfe, Founder of WIRED magazine and a One Economy Board Member, the Metcalfe Digital Opportunity Award honors leadership in the democratization of technology and the Internet. This year’s Metcalfe Digital Opportunity Award Winner was Vivian Saunders, Executive Director of the charter school The Hive, located in rural North Carolina. The Hive is a charter school educating close to 50 at risk young men providing them with a second chance and prepares them for the 21st century workforce by teaching them technical proficiency and life skills. Vivian operates the school from dawn to dusk, even cooking meals and providing after school and weekend instruction for the students and the wider community.
In memory of founding One Economy Board Member Lisa Sullivan, a tireless advocate for urban youth, the Lisa Y. Sullivan Award honors exceptional youth who use technology to transform low-income communities. This year’s Lisa Y. Sullivan Award winner is Lier Guo, a San Francisco Digital Connector. A recent immigrant from China, Lier developed confidence in her technical skills and linguistic abilities through the Digital Connectors program. She plans to attend UCLA and become a scientist.
The development of public-purpose media is essential to a comprehensive approach to broadband adoption. However, millions in the Unites States and billions of people abroad still do not have access to the Internet and the relevant life-sustaining and improving content related to health, education, jobs, and financial empowerment it provides. With your help we can overcome the barriers to technology adoption and maximize the opportunity to help more people improve their lives and connect to the economic mainstream.
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