Who Owns Black Data?
Archival Reparations
The Past in Danger
May 13–14, 2025
Yale University
In our second installment we continue our efforts to gather a distinguished group of scholars, librarians, and archivists from the Americas and Africa to discuss, elucidate, and provide public answers to the question: Who owns and controls the Black historical and cultural record? That question suggests a troubling answer as soon as we pose it. That answer is whispered in the halls of academia and once in a while it surfaces in our writings and conferences.
Now the past is facing new dangers, and the question of ownership and control over the Black historical and cultural record is more urgent than ever. The past is under threat from a variety of forces, including the commodification of data, the privatization of knowledge, and more recently, a concerted effort to erase or rewrite history in ways that serve the interests of those in power. Originally we planned to hold the symposium solely focused on the issue of reparations, but these new dangers prompted us to pivot *in medias res*, without sacrificing the original focus.
The symposium is open to the public throughout the day. If you would like to also join us for the reception and keynote dialogue, please register using the link below.
Reception & Keynote Registration
The Series
Johns Hopkins University ❖ Yale University ❖ Amistad Center ❖ Puerto Rico
