Data for Black Lives (D4BL) is an American non-profit organization with the mission of using data science to create concrete and measurable change in the lives of black people.[1][2] Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Data for Black Lives was founded by Yeshimabeit Milner and Lucas Mason-Brown.[3][4][5][1] Milner attended Brown University; having encountered discrimination towards the black community, she organized a group of scientists to combat the mistreatment of black people within data algorithms.[1][6]
Nickname | D4BL |
---|---|
Formation | November 2017 |
Founder | Yeshimabeit Milner, Lucas Mason-Brown |
Headquarters | Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Website | d4bl |
Formerly called | Data 4 Black Lives |
History
editD4BL began in November 2017 as statistical research project, and expanded into working with a team of people on data analysis. The formation of D4BL was initiated by Yeshimabeit Milner, who witnessed racial discrimination, watching her peers suffer from police brutality.[7] Milner discovered through research that black children were getting suspended at a much higher rate than white children.[8] After graduating from Brown University, Milner incorporated her passion for data science into social activism.[8]
D4BL has regional organization chapters, including a group in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[9] Additionally there is a community of other organizations working towards the same goals, including Data and Society, Algorithmic Justice League, and the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR).[10]
Between 2019 and 2021, D4BL was awarded a grant by the MacArthur Foundation for broad operating support.[11][12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Rosenfeld, Maia (February 21, 2019). "University event highlights complexities of data power". The Brown Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
- ^ "What Can Local Government Do to Avoid Inequitable Tech?". Governing. 2021-12-05. Archived from the original on 2021-12-27. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
- ^ "Data For Black Lives, Inc". Open990. Archived from the original on 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
- ^ Roose, Kevin (2020-12-30). "The 2020 Good Tech Awards". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
- ^ "Predictive policing algorithms are racist. They need to be dismantled". MIT Technology Review. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
- ^ "Yeshimabeit Milner | Ashoka | Everyone a Changemaker". www.ashoka.org. Archived from the original on 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
- ^ Cocco, Federica; Smith, Alan (July 22, 2020). "Race and America: Why Data Matters". Financial Times. The Financial Times Limited. Archived from the original on 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
- ^ a b "Yeshimabeit Milner (2021) | JFK Library". John F. Kennedy New Frontier Awards Recipients. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Archived from the original on 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
- ^ "CMU grad student launches data platform to 'dig deeper' into why systems are failing Black residents in Pittsburgh". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on 2021-12-27. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
- ^ Tiku, Nitasha (December 2, 2021). "Google fired its star AI researcher one year ago. Now she's launching her own institute". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
- ^ Gunther, Marc (August 25, 2020). "'Fund Us Like You Want Us to Win': Foundations are putting unprecedented billions into racial equity, but some grant makers worry that too little is going to grassroots movements". Philanthropy.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-27. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
- ^ "Data for Black Lives". MacArthur Foundation. Archived from the original on 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2021-11-17.