The States of Incarceration project of the Humanities Action Lab challenges students, scholars, and organizers all over the country to explore local histories of mass incarceration in the interest of collectively understanding ho wthe United States became the world's leading incarcerator. The project uses place-based public and digital humanities, history, memory, and storytelling to help shape the current national dialogue on criminal justice.

This event will include a panel as well as roundtable discussions. Each panelist will briefly describe their own work, and then examine the ethical issues around how data is used, software is used, as well as issues of data generators use and issues regarding their subject.

Panelists include Virajita Singh, Sorelle Friedler, Jonathan Kahn, and Madison Van Oort. This event is free and open to all; if you would like to confirm your attendance, please email us.

A discussion on the value and contributions of the digital humanities, inspired by a series of articles in the Chronicle of Higher Education debating the field's legitimacy. Coffee provided!

Referenced articles: 

This talk examines the relationship between scientific innovation and social inequity. Drawing on work that investigates how racial and caste distinctions shape genomic science in Mexico, South Africa, India, and the US, Dr. Benjamin argues that it is the epistemic and normative dexterity of the field — not its strict enforcement of social hierarchy — that makes it powerful, problematic and, for some, profitable. Linking this insight to a range of contemporary issues at the nexus of data and democracy, Dr.