The Black Digital Humanities Speaker Series is an upcoming virtual speaker series in collaboration between the Master of Information Student Council’s Diversity Working Group and Jackson State Department of Art and Theatre, with support from the University of Toronto’s Student Life Student Initiative Fund and the Faculty of Information’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion unit.
This speaker series aims to showcase existing projects working within the intersection of Black Studies and technology while also providing students with the opportunity to gain technical knowledge need to engage with their own Black Digital Humanities projects.
Please see below more information about the speaker series:
The Negro Motorist Green Book, Black Twitter, & Futures of Black Gathering: March 28th from 1:00pm-2:25pm
Description: The first event in the inaugural Black Digital Humanities Speaker Series, this event features an hour-long presentation from Shamika Klassen, a doctoral candidate at CU Boulder who is passionate about people and technology, followed by a 15-minute Q&A with the audience. Her talk will explore Black Twitter as a “modern day green book,” attesting to the significance of digital spaces for Black communities.
College to Corporate: Entering the World of UX: March 30thfrom 1:00pm-2:00pm
Description: While our preceding event explores the potentialities of tech in social justice and community liberation, this event, presented by UX Designer, Instructor, and Entrepreneur, Bri-Anna Lewis, will introduce participants to the world of user experience… and the many different pathways UX can take you (including within Black Digital Humanities). We strongly suggest those without a UX background but interested in our future events to attend – not only is Bri-Anna an amazing speaker, this will also provide you with the requisite knowledge to best engage with our later events.
Black Digital Archives Panel Discussion: April 3rd from 4:00pm-5:00pm
Description: This event will bring Angela Stewart, Alissa Rae Funderburk, and R. Garrad Lee from the Jackson State University’s Margaret Walker Centre in conversation with Charmaine Gooden of the Black Fashion Canada Database to discuss their work archiving Black histories.
Building A Black Archive: April 12th from 1:00pm-2:00pm
Description: Hear from Jonsaba Jabbi and Alannah Johnson about their project Building A Black Archive, a grassroots community initiative dedicated to building Black archives in Canada. Their first collection “Hip Hop and the Black Experience in Ontario” focuses on Canadian Hip Hop and Black Cultural Production & Activism from 1980-2010.
How Do UX Professionals Identify Harmful Technology Before It Launches?: April 17th from 12:00pm-1:00pm
Description: While our preceding event explores the potentialities of tech in social justice and community liberation, this event, presented by UX Designer, Instructor, and Entrepreneur, Bri-Anna Lewis, will introduce participants to the world of user experience… and the many different pathways UX can take you (including within Black Digital Humanities). We strongly suggest those without a UX background but interested in our future events to attend – not only is Bri-Anna an amazing speaker, this will also provide you with the requisite knowledge to best engage with our later events.
Technology is embedded into every aspect of our everyday life. But who considers if these technologies are safe? User Experience Professionals are one such group. In this workshop, you’ll act as a member of a User Experience Team to proactively identify and mitigate potential harms of a real life product. Come and learn more about what User Experience Professionals do and some of the methods they use in their work.
Convergence UX Designers and the Power of Personal Branding: April 20th from 5:00pm-6:00pm
Description: It’s essential to not only specialize in UX design, but also to understand how to collectively leverage your major skills and minor skills in multiple mediums. Closing off our series, Brand Strategist Ramond Walker will teach participants how they can effectively market themselves and their ideas.
