The Community Data Project
What do community organizations and leaders in Providence think about data and how it impacts their and the people they serve lives?
The Community Health Informatics Data Lab team spent a year talking to, listening and learning from over 30 community organizations and community leaders in Providence about the significance of data and its relationship to social transformation in Providence and the United States overall.
Our goal was to create more culturally-nuanced understandings of the significance of data in relationship to equity and community-impactful and transformational work.
We know that the concept of community is open to multiple interpretations and that the principles can be applied to any group of people. Lived experience tells us that people classify themselves into communities to which they believe they belong.
The Community Health Informatics Data Lab’s work is rooted in the adinkra symbol, the Abe Dua, which symbolizes health as wealth, resourcefulness, and self-sufficiency.
Community Data Frameworks
Trust
Data for and about Black communities must acknowledge historical and contemporary racism that has negatively impacted Black communities and validate mistrust as an appropriate response to White Supremacy. Researchers must build relationships around data with Black communities that begins with acknowledging how people in positions of power have demonstrated untrustworthiness in their relationships with Black people.
Communication
Researchers and pundits have generally discussed and communicated data about Black life and have not spoken to Black people on their own terms about the use and need for their data. Effective communication with the community is fundamental to data praxis, ensuring that data practices are transparent, inclusive, and responsive to community needs.
Reciprocity
Reciprocity in data practices for Black communities is essential for fostering trust, equity, and mutual benefit between data practitioners and the communities they serve. Reciprocity ensures that the exchange of data and knowledge is balanced, acknowledging, and valuing the contributions of all parties involved.
Partnership
Data collection must begin with collaborative partnerships for community development and the leverage of diverse skills and resources to establish shared goals. Successful partnerships prioritize community-led initiatives, ensuring that Black communities have a leading role in defining data priorities, methodologies, and applications.
People
Data for and about Black people must recognize and respect diverse backgrounds within the large community. It should address the unique needs and challenges of different people’s experiences and identities, as well as promote cultural exchange and understanding within the community.
Transformation
Data relating to Black communities must leverage and offer community resources for positive change. It should advocate for community needs and interests and address social and environmental challenges. The data should include processes for measuring and evaluating the impact of community initiatives for social change and be used to celebrate and share success stories.
Ownership
Ownership means that the community has control over the data lifecycle, from collection and analysis to interpretation and dissemination. This fosters trust, transparency, and accountability, as the community is directly involved in shaping how data is used and shared.
Resource
Data should be a resource for Black communities. Black people should not exist as sources of data. Material and symbolic resources connected to data praxis are crucial for Black communities as they empower individuals and groups with the tools and knowledge necessary to address systemic inequities, advocate for justice, and drive community-led initiatives.
Culturally-Based Knowledge
Culturally-based knowledge and data praxis are indispensable for the advancement and empowerment of communities, particularly those that have been historically marginalized. When integrated with data praxis, this knowledge ensures that data collection, analysis, and interpretation are grounded in cultural relevance and sensitivity.
Justice
Justice in data praxis is essential to ensure that data practices for Black communities promote reparative change, particularly for marginalized and underrepresented people. A justice-based approach to data praxis recognizes and addresses systemic disparities, prioritizing the needs and perspectives of those who have historically been excluded or misrepresented in data processes.
The CHID Lab website is a collaborative effort of the following people:
The CHID Lab Team
Kim Gallon, Director
Terina Keller, Assistant Director
Kristen Reynolds, Postdoctoral Fellow
Joan Mukogosi, Coordinator of the Community Health Informatics Working Group
Sophia Gumbs, Grad. Research Assistant
Mariana Waller, Undergrad. Research Assistant
Breanna Villareal, Undergrad. Research Assistant
Clarissa Thorne-Disla, Undergrad. Research Assistant
Web Design Team
Rene Payne, Creative Director, included
Chelsea Alexander, Designer, included
Cole Johnson, Web Developer, included
The Community at Large
The community in Providence and the larger world.