Dear friends,

First, I am excited to announce that registration is open for the third conference. Our team has been working hard to prepare to welcome you in November, and this preparation is as logistical as it is spiritual. 

Register for Data for Black Lives III

This past Labor Day, I did something I had been planning for a while; I made a pilgrimage to Harriet Tubman’s Home in Auburn, New York. Tubman used the proceeds from the book Harriet, the Moses of People to pay for the land, her house, and a home for the sick and elderly, where she herself passed on in 1913.

Being on her property was surreal and grounding. What was most moving was seeing her well. It was closed off and covered with stones, but standing at it transported me to when Tubman, her family, and her collaborators all drew from that well. I knew this well was not just water but a portal of courage, resilience, and resistance.

And courage was required. For Tubman—responsible for bringing hundreds to freedom—New York represented the promised land. But walking in her footsteps, I realized that the utopia she was able to find and create was not just on the quiet path off South Street in Auburn, NY; but in the wilderness, as she hid in plain sight, escaping slave catchers with bounties on her head; as she leaned on divine instruction and led groups through deep, dense forests.

As I write this, a protracted war rages on, taking the lives of thousands and leaving millions in fear and insecurity. In the US, families must choose between food and housing because a dollar doesn’t stretch as far as it used to. Since the pandemic, we have been in a collective season of unpredictability. We are grieving the past, and sometimes, we find ourselves so deep in our grief that we have no space for the future. We, too, are in the wilderness.

What does it mean to find utopia amid wilderness? Utopia—to us, is not a place or a state but a process by which we build anew while simultaneously becoming new people. This is what change means—actual change. This kind of change cannot be reversed, regressed, or denied. If there is a theme for our upcoming conference, it is “Utopia.”

Preview the program and be on the lookout for speaker announcements next week. Be sure to get your tickets, as we expect to reach capacity quickly. I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Much love,

Yeshimabeit

Tickets for D4BL III are now available. Over three days, we will work together to realize the true power of data to build movements, shift power, and hold institutions accountable. Register using the link below to secure your spot.

For more information, read the Registration FAQ.