Dec 6, 2024 Story by: Editor
City officials and community leaders are launching new initiatives aimed at addressing long-standing disparities in resources for marginalized communities through the use of data science.
The Community Data Justice Collaborative (CDJC) was officially introduced on Thursday evening at the Kingsley Center in Larimer, where community members gathered to emphasize the importance of creating data systems that prioritize equity and justice.
“Fifty-four months ago, a group of people in this room got together to create a condition of change,” said Fred Brown, co-founder of the Black Equity Coalition Data Justice Working Group, a partner in the project. This group was formed during the COVID-19 pandemic to combat racial inequalities.
The CDJC’s primary objective is to identify and address these resource gaps by involving community input in data governance. Starting this spring, a team of 12 to 18 members, selected from a broad pool of community-nominated candidates, will collaborate on decisions regarding the collection, sharing, and use of data across Pittsburgh.
Chris Belasco, Pittsburgh’s senior manager of digital services and chief data officer, acknowledged that the needs of diverse communities often go unaddressed when it comes to data collection. “When we make decisions about what data we collect, what data we make publicly available, the decisions we make about displaying it to the public are not ones we usually make with the communities we serve,” he stated. “This project is an effort to correct that.”
Pittsburgh’s diverse communities, many of which have historically been overlooked, will now have their voices amplified, according to Wallace. “Pittsburgh is made up of so many diverse communities that we know in most cases have not been before. That will no longer happen, and we will amplify their voices.”
Although Mayor Ed Gainey was unable to attend the event, he expressed his support in a statement released before the gathering. “As we seek to make decisions that impact our residents, we want to be sure that the data we collect is inclusive of everyone, and this initiative will ensure that,” Gainey’s statement read.
In addition to the CDJC, the Black Equity Coalition (BEC) has also advanced its Data Justice Project’s Neighborhood Power Building Initiative. This project will offer up to $30,000 to a community group in a neighborhood affected by residential segregation. The Larimer Consensus Group was awarded the funding, which will be used to host workshops aimed at increasing data literacy and engaging community members in efforts to improve housing and foster sustainable communities.
Since its inception, the BEC has raised approximately $8.5 million to support these initiatives, according to Fred Brown. Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
