Du Bois Does Data: Juneteenth at the Oculus — Presented by Radical Imagination (Day Three)

This is part of a three-day weekend of presentations from Radical Imagination celebrating Juneteenth by exploring the legacy of W.E.B. DuBois.

35 years after slavery, Du Bois set out to provide a definitive image of the Negro condition in the United States. His data efforts not only quantified economic parity or lack thereof, he also focused on where people lived, and how they lived. During the 1900 Paris Exposition, he shared his findings with the world. But how do those findings hold up 125 years later? What has changed? Has anything stayed the same? At Du Bois Does Data, engage with his visuals, portraits, and data in a multi-sensory experience. Scents derived from the life and experience of W.E.B. Playlists charting the course of Black American music from his birth to his death, a day before the “I Have A Dream Speech.” Books celebrating his work and a first edition copy of his completed passion project, Africana. Curated vintage stamps in his image, portraits, and his article in Africana will serve as activations for A/R experiences, bringing the nostalgia into the palm of your hand. In Du Bois Does Data, we also used Python to evaluate the condition of Black Americans 125 years after his exhibit using Census data in 6 Jupyter Notebooks.

Bio: Mike Spade (Radical Imagination) is a Learning Strategist focused on bridging the gap between historical scholarship and immersive technology. With a background in instructional design and a passion for data storytelling, this latest project represents the intersection of education, history, and emerging tech. Over the past few years, the Queens native has split time working for The Knowledge House and studying with the Community Sensor Lab at the Advanced Science Research Center in Harlem. He is currently showcasing Du Bois Does Data, the first offering from the Radical Imagination Cultural Technology Studio.