Where do we go from here?

Instructions

Through readings, lectures, and group activities, we have considered a number of questions related to data and the history of race and slavery in the United States, including:

Is it possible to produce ethical data from unethical historical sources? If so, how?

What methods and practices have scholars relied on to counter or minimize data’s dehumanizing impulses? Which methods and practices do you think are most effective? Which methods and practices do you find least effective?

Is it necessary, in your opinion, for public projects built around data—Slave Voyages, Freedom on the Move, Kinfolkology, etc.—to supplement their data with other materials (e.g. biographical essays, essays on metadata, historical context, etc.)? If so, why?

When, if ever, should we consider racialized data to be a normative good? In other words, what, if anything, do you think racialized data can do that is positive or helpful? Do those positive uses outweigh the potential harms of racialized data? You can answer these questions as they relate to any type of racialized data, or you can compare different kinds of racialized data (data about slavery, for example, compared to modern biometric data).

Which model—data ownership, data stewardship, or data sovereignty—do you think is best to adopt for data about slavery and enslaved people? Why? (This is subjective; there is no “right” answer.)

Choose one of the above questions (or sets of questions) to consider and respond to as a group. Then, choose two or more of the readings and/or other materials assigned in this course to use as reference points for your response. Finally, use the form below to submit your response - one response per group. Note that you do not need to submit anything on Canvas for this assignment. Each group will present their responses during our October 10th meeting.