How missing data can perpetuate injustice
I had the opportunity recently to attend a solidarity rally in support of the Charleston 9 at First A.M.E. Church in Seattle. The room, though packed and sweltering, was filled with an overwhelming sense of a community unifying for change. It was powerful. Among the speakers was Dr. Sheley Secrest with the Seattle- King County NAACP. Dr. Secrest’s work focuses on economic development, and she spoke of a meeting at Boeing in the wake of significant recent layoffs. When she asked about data on who was being laid off – by race, hire date, and so on – she was told “Boeing doesn’t track that information.” For me, Dr. Secrest’s observation resonated as another example of data (or in this case, its absence) being used as a weapon. In The Current we recently reflected on the weaponization of data as part of a conversation with our friends and colleagues, Vu Le and Dr. Jondou Chen. Data can be weaponized, as well as the absence of data – and in some ways, this latter form is more insidious. […]
