Source page: McKinsey & Company
Commentary
Plugging in equitably
Public Sector | Diversity & Inclusion
February 2, 2023 – There is a digital divide for many Black Americans—and this divide goes beyond access to broadband, find partner Kunal Modi and coauthors. While an approximately equal number of Black and White adults have smartphones and tablets, only 69 percent of Black Americans have desktop or laptop computers, compared with 80 percent of White Americans. Roughly half of Black workers have the advanced digital skills needed to thrive in an increasingly tech-driven economy, compared with 77 percent of White workers.
To read the article, see “Closing the digital divide in Black America,” January 18, 2023.
customizer here
Visual form
Animated multi-panel bar-chart sequence.
Layout / body structure
The chart is arranged as a series of related comparison panels rather than a single one-shot chart. Reader moves panel by panel through device adoption, desktop or laptop ownership, and advanced digital-skill readiness, with each frame keeping the same comparison groups in view.
What is being compared
It compares Black Americans and White Americans across digital adoption, computer ownership, and the level of digital skills needed to succeed in a more technology-driven economy.
Measurement system
The values are presented as percentages, with direct labels used to show the share of each group that has access to a device or the advanced digital skills in question.
Visible structure inside the graphic
The sequence uses repeated side-by-side bars or columns for the two comparison groups, with each panel focusing on a different part of the digital divide. The internal structure comes from the repeated group pairings, the category labels for each digital measure, and the percentage labels attached to the bars.
Main takeaway from the visual
The graphic makes it clear that the divide is not mainly about smartphone access. The most visible gaps sit in computer ownership and higher-end digital skills, which means the disadvantage deepens as work requires more complex digital capability.
Key standout values or extremes
The page highlights that 69 percent of Black Americans have a desktop or laptop computer compared with 80 percent of White Americans. It also points to a sharper skills gap, with only about half of Black workers shown as having the advanced digital skills needed to thrive, versus 77 percent of White workers.
Controls / sequence, when applicable
This is a static chart image with no in-chart controls to operate.
Companion media, when applicable
There is no separate companion audio or video; the chart image is the full visual on this page.