Conference

Tracing Race at Iowa State University: A Conversation on Round One Projects

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Abstract

Now in its second year, the Tracing Race at ISU initiative is an ongoing effort to encourage, support, and facilitate digital scholarship projects that engage with the history of race, inequality, racism and student, faculty and staff activism at Iowa State University. Two projects were selected from the first call for proposals process in spring 2021. The first was led by Dr. Gloria Betcher, teaching professor in the Department of English. The project titled “Mapping the Black ISC Student Housing Experience to 1940” explores the off-campus housing experiences of Black students at Iowa State College. The second project, led by Deni Chamberlin, associate professor, and Brenda Witherspoon, associate teaching professor, both at the Greenlee School of Journalism, was integrated into the combined fall courses Advanced Photojournalism and The Digital Newsroom. Students explored a variety of topics related to race and racism, activism, and the accomplishments of members of Iowa State. The result is an interactive, layered map narrative that builds on concepts of investigative journalism. In this panel discussion, project leads and participants from the first cohort of selected proposals will reflect on their research processes and their experiences working with students and community partners.