Introducing the JUST DATA lab

As we become more attentive to the stories we tell with and about data, how might it change our approach to research, teaching and advocacy?

These are the questions that motivated Ruha Benjamin (CDH Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor of African American Studies) to host the JUST DATA Lab. On Friday December 7, the CDH will host this invitation-only event, which will bring together activists, artists, educators, and researchers to develop a humanistic approach to data conception, production, and circulation. The JUST DATA Lab’s aim is to rethink and retool data for justice.

The JUST DATA Lab workshop is focused on developing teaching material that can be adapted for a range of classrooms and communities, and is organized into three modules, each focusing on a different social arena: 1) Housing + Economic Justice, 2) Policing + Abolition, and 3) Public Health + Environmental Justice.

The JUST DATA Lab is excited to have the following esteemed guest speakers for the 2018 workshop: Sam Sinyangwe, Lawrence Brown, Max Clermont, Lucas Mason Brown, Mutale Nkonde, and Carla Shedd.

For each module, presenters will share a short presentation related to the theme (including a brief introduction of the data, discussion of existing literature, and a hands-on activity idea). Then respondents will kick off the workshop discussion by raising questions and reflecting on how the material can be used in classrooms and communities, including a new Princeton University class.

Although participation in the workshop is by-invitation only, the syllabus, modules, and other resources will be made available for free online.