eBlack: History, Sociology, and Informatics Past research and thoughts about a new research program Past  Present  Future Abdul Alkalimat University of Illinois July 25, 2008

Outline of presentation Intro (Background, context) Four fundamental questions (Black, eBlack, DD, Info society) eBlack Studies (theory and method) Thinking about the future (digital arcives, cyberorganizing)

Background to project Digital scholarship and the Black experience Ford Foundation national consultation Three reports (Atkins, Unsworth, Alkalimat) IT sessions at NCBS and ASALH Crisis, crisis, and change

Four fundamental questions? 1.What is Black Studies? 2.What is eBlack Studies? 3.What is the digital divide? 4.What is the eBlack experience?

Locating eBlack as a focus for engaged scholarship Social Informatics Black Studies Community

Fanon: “Each generation has a mission. It can fulfill it or betray it.” 1.Black Studies as social movement: The Black liberation movement and the Black Student movement united to fight racism and transform higher education (1960’s) 2.Black Studies as academic profession: The faculty and students of Black Studies achieve excellence based on the universal standards for scholarship (1980’s) 3.Black Studies as knowledge network: The Internet enables Black Studies to become a virtual knowledge network, a global information commons (2000’s) The third generation of Black Studies has a clear mission

eBlack’s Philosophical foundation: three fundamental values Cyberdemocracy: everyone can connect Collective intelligence: everyone can produce Information freedom: everyone can consume

D7 method

Africa Slave trade Slavery Emancipation Rural tenancy Great migrations Urban industry Structural crisis Information society The logic of Black history: modes of social cohesion, modes of social disruption

Technology (ICT) and Black history

Toward a paradigm of unity

Sociology of eBlack: A research framework

Thinking about a new research program: eBlack Illinois 1.The research focus is on aggregating a massive set of data bases that cover the historical and sociological experiences of the Black population in Illinois. This includes every empirical measure, every collection, every documented narrative, etc. 2.We will analyze this data to fully investigate the diverse applications of the term community. 3.Our main interest is how this data helps us to understand what the Black community is doing with digital technology. Further we are interested in developing measures of impact that results from this technology (cyberpower) 4.This research will require a wide and diverse set of scholars to gather and analyze the data. Collaboration will require a change in research culture.

Black people in Illinois

Black people in Illinois Counties More than 15% or more than 20,000 Less than <1% or fewer than 200

Datasets 1.Census 2.Federal and state agencies 3.Media 4.Organizational archives 5.Oral history archives (IHC/NEH grants) 6.History Makers 7.African American historical sites 8.Politics: voting and office holding 9.Educational achievement 10.Black studies programs What else belongs here?

Illinois Urban League Chapters Madison County Urban League Brenda Walker McCain, President/CEO 210 William Street PO Box 8093 Alton, IL x5 Quad County Urban League Theodia Gillespie, President/CEO 808 E. Galena Blvd. Aurora, IL UL of Champaign County J. Tracy Parsons, President 314 S. Neil Street Champaign, IL Chicago Urban League Cheryle R Jackson, President 4510 South Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL Tri-County Urban League Laraine E. Bryson, President 317 South MacArthur Highway Peoria, IL Springfield Urban League, Inc. Nina M. Harris, President 100 North 11th Street P.O. Box 3865 Springfield, IL

Moving from one to many databases The person The institution The spatial dimension The networks The archives The chronology The national The global

The crises we face Liquidation of the community Commodification Lack of digitization Individuals vs the network and collective intelligence Short term opportunism (get my degree) vs long term strategic research program File management and back up

The solutions we need Communication – H-Afro-Am Collaboration – Cooperative Research Network Digitization – eBlack Movement – the new citizen scientist (taking Woodson/DuBois to the next level) Theory – Four questions, four theses

Information Technology and the Black Experience Summer 2008 GSLIS and DAAS