Mapping for Social Justice Workshop

Tim Stallmann Sava Labs
Chris Henrick
Matt Wilson University of Kentucky
Panelist #4? Southern Environmental Law Center
Panelist #5?

Transcript

1. Mapping for Social Justice
   Workshop Outline
   Materials/set-up:
   • Big paper & markers for each small group to note-take/doodle/map
   • Set up room with a large empty space in the center
   • Agenda on big paper or powerpoint
   10:30 – 10:40
   Introduction/ice-breaker: Stand in a place which is important to you. Center of the room is
   Minneapolis, MN (or maybe somewhere further South?). Arrange yourselves N/S/E/W towards the 4
   walls of the room according to where your place is – making a human map. Quick go-around: names,
   place you chose, why.
   – Break into small groups. Ideal is 4-6 people –
   10:40 – 10:50
   Small-group group listening activity:
   In small groups, each person tells about a time when a map you made “made a difference,” changed
   something about the world around you. Broadly defined. If you don't have a story in mind, can talk
   about a map someone else made. Each person takes 2 minutes to talk, everyone just listens. Then
   switch to the next person.
   10:50 – 11:00
   Small-group discussion: What are the takeaways from these stories? What do they have in common?
   What worked, what didn't?
   11:00 – 11:15
   Small-group report-back & collective discussion (brief)
   11:15 – 11:20
   Small-group discussion: What is “social justice” / “spatial justice”? How is it defined? (skip this if
   we're running behind or if the previous discussion is good)
   11:20 – 11:30
   Large-group discussion: What is “social justice” / “spatial justice”?
   11:30 – 12:15
   Case studies – what does this look like in practice?
   • Matt Wilson & Laura Greenfield
   • Shannon Groff
   • Chris Henrick or Tim Stallmann (depending on Chris' availability)
   12:15 – 12:30
   Q & A
   

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2. Social Justice Mapping
   Agenda
   10:30 – Intro & ice-breaker activity
   10:40 – Small-group storytelling & discussion: When have you made a map which has made a difference?
   11:00 – Report-back from small groups
   11:15 – Discussion: What is social/spatial justice?
   11:30 – Case studies
   • Matt Wilson & Laura Greenfield – UKY Mapping Lab
   • Shannon Groff – Coal Ash Mapping
   • Chris Henrick – NYC Housing Justice
   Notes:
   • data is really important – hard to collect; collection process informs authoritative data source
   • importance of the map itself – way to share message and think about other perspectives
   • dual side of digital world – powerful but also can turn away ppl who aren't part of the digital world – can obscure
   or hide the author
   • map itself as a mode of empowerment & inclusion – groups had an active part in design of the tools & maps; or
   map gave viewers answers they were looking for. exposed to new tech.
   • power asymmetries – who has access to knowledge & data. how data is produced can propagate undesirable
   dynamics (e.g. Census data)
   • how do map-makers function as gatekeepers
   taking the time to look for alternative sources – recognizing your own role as gatekeeper (example of racially
   insensitive place names)
   using walking papers or other tools that make it easier to draw data
   using power in an appropriate way
   teaching map-making (through Maptime, other organizations)
   overcoming language barrier to demystify mapping without oversimplifying it
   recognizing that there is a gate at all – “view from above” is not the way most folks see it necessarily
   meeting people where they are – recognize the lean towards a certain aesthetic that is hard to attain. “slower”
   mapping, “ugly” mapping as part of an iterative process
   • maps that “get the job done” vs. necessarily focusing on attaining perfection
   • Examples for curriculum/teaching
   FixWikiMaps tumblr, going through them as a group and talking about possible improvements
   Find your house, draw your daily routes, tell some stories using the mapping tool before getting into the tech
   specifics. At every single session – always start with “where are we at”
   Walking around together with a copy of the map
   Making it clear each time how you're wanting & using feedback
   Gathering your own data
   Using Google Map / Google Earth – e.g. taking screenshots of google maps, plotting on Google Earth, super-
   basic tools
   Mapping “undermapped” areas as a type of outreach
   

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