Dear friends,

I am excited to announce our first event of 2024, which will be held in partnership with Barnard College on Friday, February 23, in New York City. I will deliver a keynote address on Data Activism, followed by a special Decompress performance. More details can be found below.

RSVP for D4BL X Barnard College - Data Activism + Decompress

Every month at Data for Black Lives is Black History Month. Studying the lives of those who came before us, who paved the way, is inherent to our daily work of reclaiming data as a tool for social change. Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman to be elected to Congress and the first woman and Black person to vie for the Presidential nomination from a major political party. She was bold, courageous, and ahead of her time.

Recently I hiked Shirley Chisholm State Park, and as I stood atop a hill and looked out at the sweeping views of Jamaica Bay, Brooklyn, and Queens, I thought about how far into the future she was able to see - how her goal was to do more than win a Presidential nomination and election but to build a coalition that would change politics and the very fabric of our democracy.

Her very existence proved that Black people, and Black women in particular, were not only competent enough to govern but were uniquely advantaged because of our 360 view of America’s past, present, and future. She went against the grain - she was against the war in Vietnam and was essential to transitioning the country out of segregation when such positions were unpopular.

Help us stay Unbought and Unbossed

At Data for Black Lives, Chisholm’s legacy, to remain Unbought and Unbossed, has become our blueprint. We remain uncompromised in our demands to dismantle the structures that put the power of data into the hands of a few. We know that no one benefits from the proliferation of advanced automated systems like artificial intelligence without political channels for directly impacted people to contest their decisions, much less have a say in design and implementation.

And like Chisholm, our goal is to remain unbought. With your support we can continue speaking truth to power, change the cast of characters, and shift the status quo through groundbreaking research, advocacy, and movement building. Please consider making a donation today.

We have some incredibly exciting announcements to come, so please stay tuned. And if you are in New York, I hope to see you this month!

All the best,

Yeshimabeit