43 2. Increase and amplify community engagement. Communication is an essential part of the organization’s work on behalf of members and partners to build support for programs and policies. This includes keeping constituents aware of relevant work taking place in racial justice organizations and issuing calls to action against policies and conditions that have the potential to create widespread or localized harm. Maps and data analysis resources will guide understanding as leaders develop strategies and tactics in specific areas. Leaders will use the same tools to highlight successes that others can replicate elsewhere. 3. Develop the next generation of GIS leaders. Rushing and her innovation team want to inspire justice leaders to be users and advocates of geospatial technology. By stepping into roles as creators, managers, and analysts, the NAACP’s members and staff can bring depth, nuance, and unique perspective to conversations about race and justice. 4. Use mapping to imagine and move toward a racially just future. Data science calls for outlining goals, marking a starting point, and monitoring outcomes and progress over time. Monitoring makes it easier to recognize and address problems by location, detect changes and regional patterns, and document outcomes or accomplishments. Having this type of command over data can be used to compel other organizations and business leaders to invest more thoughtfully, partner in justice work, and contribute resources to support mutually beneficial programs and initiatives. A New Framework for Racial Equity Work Leaders at the NAACP believe the organization’s long, well-documented history of successful civil rights activism makes it an especially important partner in the digital age. They see digital maps and data science as the right tools for more effective engagement for justice, equity, corporate responsibility, and climate action. By continuing to enrich its racial justice work through data science, the NAACP’s leaders can offer more authoritative insights to partners and stakeholders. The process begins with using maps to show where people are experiencing unbalanced conditions such as limited access to a quality education and unequal access to opportunities for home- or landownership. With a map-based frame of reference, the NAACP can help partners and policymakers evaluate locations to better understand how to invest in ways that address past disparities while improving or contributing to racial equity. Equity and Social Justice Volunteers work phones and social media to mobilize voters across the country. Image courtesy of NAACP. The Voter Incident Report Form provided a map-based visualization of any voting incident throughout Election Day to remove any impedances to citizens’ right to vote. Image courtesy of NAACP.
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