I am returning from the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education (AABHE) Research Conference hosted at the Strata Foundation in Indianapolis. For the past three years, I have had the honor of leading data analytics workshops for AABHE. This was my fourth workshop, and I want to share why I enjoy leading these workshops.
First, I walk into a room full of higher education professionals (hep) eager to learn how to use data to advocate for change. This is a welcomed change from teaching statistics, where students often greet me with dread. Like the students, the session participants often fear statistics but recognize the invaluable role of data in influencing policy changes.
Second, our critical analysis of the role of data in narratives and storytelling challenges how I present data. I am more aware of whether I am presenting an “asset” or “deficient” narrative and whether I am perpetuating or correcting false narratives. When I identify a false narrative, I correct it by presenting data that challenges the misconception and promotes a more accurate understanding. The Family Economic Mobility team, Share Our Strength, and I call this “making shift” happen.
Third, we discuss the purpose of our analysis. These discussions inspire me, sometimes because they give me hope and other times because they remind me of the work that still needs to be done. This cohort’s “why” ranged from using data to reduce policing bias by campus officers to looking at the effect that former President Trump’s attack on the media has had on the number of journalism degrees conferred.
Finally, I enjoy leading these workshops because they fulfill an implicit part of WISER’s mission – to get researchers to disaggregate data by the characteristics that influence an outcome.
Congratulations to LaKieda Adams, Josh Stark, Dana Nash, and Dr. Odelet West for organizing an excellent research conference.
