This activity was really helpful in understanding the “why” behind our project ideas. As discussed in Data Feminism and many other pieces we have read, the motivations and drive behind data collection and analysis is a vital part of contextualizing and drawing meaning from the data. Understanding our own personal biases and interests, and incorporating that into analysis prevents further misinterpretation. We talked a lot in my group about doing further research into the donors themselves and their relationships to Benjamin Bates or other businessmen involved in slavery. I found that for my project idea, I was really motivated by current injustices and aspects of Bates or Lewiston as a whole that I see continue to reflect systems established during Benjamin Bates’ operation of the mills.
