Present to Persuade: Lessons From the Data Visualizations of W.E.B. Du Bois
Du Bois offered an alternative point of view to the prevailing belief that black people were unequal to whites using data. He successfully sourced and presented data in novel, compelling ways to change his audience’s perspective.
Realizing the limitations of traditional charts, he designed atypical forms of data visualizations to demonstrate his case. This allowed him to influence a massive European and global audience. This is essential historical research for any data science professional who aims to build cohesion with other teams, from different departments to the executive board.
The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line, the question as to how far the differences of race — which show themselves chiefly in the color of the skin and the texture of the hair will hereafter be made the basis of denying to half the world the right of sharing to their utmost ability the opportunity and privileges of modern civilization — W.E.B. Du Bois
I moderated a fireside chat with Jason Forrest, Director of Interactive Data Visualization, COVID Response Center, McKinsey and Co., along with Jarrett Hurms, Business Systems and Operations Data Analyst, Wells Fargo.
They discussed Du Bois’ long-standing contributions to the field of data science in the context of social advancement and his tactics on sourcing and presenting data in novel, compelling ways that impact our modern social climate.
If you still need to watch the webinar.
Data visualizations are a tool for humans and machines to communicate vast, complex information. This form of communication extends across every industry from nonprofits and government entities to business organizations and healthcare.
One of the most powerful examples of data visualization was made 120 years ago by an African American team led by W.E.B. Du Bois, only 37 years after the end of slavery in the United States.
Below, I recap the core themes of Jason and Jarrett’s discussion, as an introduction for those interested in further pursuing Du Bois’ seminal work.
Du Bois presented data in a way that could be digested by ethnically and economically diverse populations. Offering an alternative perspective on African Americans, Du Bois sought to enlighten his audience by showing Blacks’ capability to strengthen the United States. He realized the limitations of charts in their traditional forms and was keen to draw the attention of his audience using unusual forms of data presentation.
Du Bois’ seminal work was displayed at the 1900 Paris Exposition. Keep in mind, the Emancipation Proclamation had just been signed in 1863. The fair was created to celebrate the achievements of the 19th century and sought to accelerate innovation in the next. 56 countries, including the US, participated by creating pavilions representing their respective cultures. Visited by 50 million people, the exhibits displayed many inventions for the first time, such as the Ferris wheel, the diesel engine, the escalator, and even talking films.
Daniel Murray, the Assistant Librarian of Congress and his team, was awarded $15,000 from the United States Congress, only four months before the opening of the exposition. Du Bois was chosen to lead the effort as the Chief Curator, and he began to quickly compile the work on December 28, 1899, with his students from Atlanta University.
The exhibit of American Negros was a two-section showcase of Du Bois’ data visualizations:
- The Georgia Negro, which focused on the state of Georgia, had the second largest African American population. For some additional context: “The Georgia Negro” is a social study compilation of 32 handmade graphs and charts.
- A series of statistical charts illustrating the condition of descendants of former African slaves now in residence in the United States of America.
Jason notes that the exhibition was a targeted attempt to sway the world’s scientific elite to acknowledge the American Negro and an attempt to influence cultural change in the United States and abroad.
Later in his life, Du Bois recalled the contingencies and difficulties that surrounded the completion of this work for the Exposition Universelle, as well as the financial circumstances that nearly prevented him from attending his own exhibit:
“The details of finishing these 50 or more charts, in colors, with accuracy, was terribly difficult with little money, limited time and not too much encouragement. I was threatened with nervous prostration before I was done and had little money left to buy passage to Paris, nor was there a cabin left for sale. But the exhibit would fail unless I was there. So at the last moment I bought passage in the steerage and went over and installed the work.”
— W.E.B. Du Bois
However, he did arrive in time to quickly set up the exhibit and earn a gold medal from the judges. While the African American Press reported on the exhibit with gleeful excitement, the European media only mentioned the exhibit in passing, and the white American press completely ignored it. The American public never knew the exhibit of American Negroes even existed.
Du Bois’ role in social science and data visualization remains under-explored compared to his grander feats. He visualized the complexities of racial segregation, which fundamentally changed the representation of black Americans.
He championed social advancement by collecting compelling evidence with a rigorous scientific approach. He combined data from multiple sources and used vibrant data portraits to illustrate his arguments with qualitative facts. His exhibitions are more than just a scientific report; they exemplify a “targeted attempt to sway the world’s elite” by ending stereotypes and presenting a modern, successful and educated representation of black people.
If you are interested in learning more about Data Visualizations with W.E.B. Du Bois, please check out these resources below:
- Du Bois Webinar Recording hosted by Thinknum Alternative Data
- Du Bois’ data visualizations and research, curated by Jason Forest
Once again, special thank you to Jason and Jarrett (Jsquared). With their diligent research and commentary, this article would not exist. Thank you Gentlemen! Let us continue the conversation and spread the good word.
Charts prepared by Du Bois for the Negro Exhibit of the American Section at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900 to show the economic and social progress of African Americans since emancipation.
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