Developing Black Digital Humanities Initiatives

Description

The intersection of black studies and digital humanities combines two complex interdisciplinary areas that bridge scholarship and practice. Neither black studies nor digital humanities has a singular disciplinary home or fits neatly into the structures and systems of the modern academy. In fact, each has worked to gain institutional and organizational currency while still enacting forms of resistance to established structures. How then can those invested in this work grow and sustain digital and humanistic scholarship and practice centered on black people and their experiences?

This course will provide specific strategies for doing just that—from developing a vision for black digital humanities in participants’ local contexts through the human and administrative challenges of enacting such programs. Participants should be prepared to engage both intellectually and practically with case studies, readings, and exercises as part of a process of developing concrete plans for black digital humanities programs (at whatever scale) in their institutions or communities. By the end of the course, participants will also be able to describe and situate proposals in relation to existing institutional models and trends. Topics include staffing, internal and external communications, budgets and funding, space and technology planning, as well as engaging students, faculty, librarians, and other partners. Familiarity with the general landscape of black studies and digital humanities will be important for participation.

This course is capped at 12 students.