Celebrating Juneteenth: William 'Bam' Sparks and Culture Wireless Make Technology a Commodity for Black Empowerment

After 2020 the US experienced a brief moment of conscious awakening after the shame of the televised murder of George Floyd. That isolated moment of accountability resulted in the country embracing Juneteenth as a national holiday. Although the Black community acknowledged the recognition, Juneteenth was a holiday celebrated internally within our communities since the announcement of the emancipation proclamation. Although America jumped on board for 2020 and in some cases 2021, Black communities across the country realized the need to publicly reclaim Juneteeth and it’s meaning for Blacks living in America in 2025. Instead of celebrating Blacks being freed from slavery, today’s focus for Juneteenth has been on removing the shackles of systematic racism that keep our communities economically oppressed. William “Bam” Sparks is one of the gamechangers committed to empowering the Black community's ability to leverage their financial impact for Black families and their future. William and his team created Culture Wireless, a telecom brand that reflects the values of equity, community and cultural pride.

William and his partners realized that communication and technology will dictate the future of the world. Many neighborhoods serving minorities qualify as technology deserts with little to no access to hi-speed internet. It’s a problem for muisc but it's also a problem for humanity. Without access to technology. children and young people are destined to be ill-equipped to handle the fast-changing global workplace. Without access and the skills to navigate the new technology driven terrain, our communities can and will be left behind. WIlliam and his partners at Culture Wireless is on a mission to close the digital divide. William and his partners are determined to provide affordable internet services to communities that need it the most, specifically underserved communities of color. “Right after Covid we realized there was a problem with connectivity in certain areas. I was at Morris Brown and there were issue for students. I realized we had to make a difference. There was an immediate need because the previous administration had put programs in place that provided affordable access for these communities, but since that administration was no longer in place, the programs were immediately discontinued,” William explains.

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William was very familiar with the location because it was near the infamous Trap Museum he co-founded. The pop-up designed to be a part of a promotional campaign for rapper 2Chainz album, ‘Pretty Girls Like Trap Music’ ended up being praised as the worlds first hip hop museum and listed as one of the best musical landmarks in the deep south by National Geographic. In addition to creating a part of hip-hop history, William lead culture-forward campaigns for corporate giants including Nike, Apple and AT&T. “In all those positions I learned that culture is our commodity, and instead of selling its ownership to others, we should use it to leverage our own communities.”

William and his partners, Jerome Howard and Al Adjahoe contributed their personal expertise to become and ISP, or internet service provider. William credits his partner Al with having invaluable previous work experience at the largest airport in the country, Hartsfield-Jackson. The three ingenues came together and created a solution for their community.  “We focused our pilot program on Vine City/English Avenue, not far from the Trap Museum. So we created the opportunity for internet access for that entire area,” Williams says. He believes that Atlanta is great soil to black intellectual property that will affect the entire world, so with the goal being the entire country, the partners planted those flagship seeds in the fertile entrepreneurship-driven foundation of Atlanta.

"Our black dollars are key to the US economy. We realized that Verizon has stopped their DEI program just recently as well so we feel like this is the perfect time for us to educate people on Culture Wireless. You can own a piece of Culture Wireless and give back to your community. It’s more than just giving your money to a company for a service, it’s about ownership and that’s something we don’t have but desperately need,” Williams says.

Atlanta’s vine city community gave an immediate reception to the program, but William inisists there was still education that needed to occur. For many Black neighborhoods, resources are hidden by gatekeepers or beurocratic red tape that can often be discouraging and intimidating for those who have grown up without knowledge of how the system works. As Williams and his partners prepare their Juneteenth announcement, Lenox & Parker looks forward to amplifying their message and sharing it with our audience and beyond. Telecommunications and internet access are vital to our community’s economic and social growth. It is impertative that we rally behind them and support without dollars, our platforms and our patronage. ‘Culture Wireless’ is the brainchild of three brilliant, beautiful black men who have prioritized the future of their community as opposed to chasing corporate riches for themselves and their families. Recognizing their brother and sister’s needs, they have attempted to build an infrastructure offering a solution. They are the embodiment of the present realization of Juneteeth.