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Plate # 7 tracks the growth of whites and colored people in Georgia. The map shows colored people have maintained a better growth rate than whites for the most part and except the years between mid 1820s to mid 1840s.
Plate # 9 does not specify what year it represents but the data compares the age distribution of Georgia blacks against those in France. The data shows over 90% of the blacks in Georgia were under the age of 30-40. This makes me questions whether this was due to higher mortality rate (due violence, forced labor, horrible living conditions) that led to lower life expectancy rate for blacks.

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I thought that plate 11 was quite evocative and visually striking.  It essentially compares locations where black Americans were living at the time, but the presentation of data takes line graphs and mixes a stright and curved (circular) presentation.

I thought it was amazing how in plate 19, the data happened to work out that the acres of land owned by black Americans increased in such a pattern as to mimic the appearance of Georgia itself. How important it was to acknowledge the growth of black-owned land in the late ninteenth century.

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Plate 1 - Though it might seem simplistic to select the first plate, the general concept that is depicted in this image is striking in many ways.  The notion that a whole continent has been torn apart in shreds, that seemingly migrate and then re-attach in the Americas for capitalist or economic reasons, is so clearly depicted and upheld in this image.  Though this did occur over time, the numbers of humans that were impacted, the generations, over time, are beyond significant.

Plate 10 - This plate seems to depict the different life spans of a Black American versus a European. It suggests that the life spans of Black Americans are shorter, overall and also divorce rates are significantly different. This makes sense to me given the impact of stress and poverty on health, well-being, and biochemistry. When one is living under constant stress, similar to students coming to school without having eaten, for example, the ability to thrive is severely compromised. We don't act like the best versions of ourselves when we are tired, hungry, desperate for the basic life necessities. This does take it's toll on life spans, relationships, educational attainment and so forth.

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“The snaking data is a visual focal point on a chart that shows the dominance of industrial education for black Americans in 1900”. DuBois was elevating black status by directly comparing visual numbers of what Kendi today calls "body racism".  DuBois used population rising data, rising literacy rates, and conjugal rates which were the same if not higher among blacks, to show morals and genetics of blacks were not inferior to whites. This graphic shows that blacks were even educated differently, mostly in the trades and not more intellectual, classic courses, more evidence of body racism in the belief that blacks were of inferior intellectual capability.

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Plate 11 “this visualization defies categorization”

Was this meant to subtly depict the diaspora of Africa in Georgia in colors and shape with the green line at the top, the yellow diagonal and the red on the bottom?

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Select two that you find the most interesting and/or informative. What are the main messages of the graphic?

Plate 2: This plate represents the spread and concentration of the Negro population in the U.S. It offers a clear representation of the high concentration of Negroes in the Southern United States in comparison to the rest of the country.

Plate 10: This plate provides a percentage comparison between Black Americans and Germans that are single, married or widowed/divorced, as separated by age range.  This data on this plate was specifically chosen by Du Bois to highlight the different life spans of someone from Europe versus a Black American.

What makes them interesting – informative?

Plate 2: I find this plate interesting because it offers a visually simple way of seeing the breadth and spread of Negro populations across the United States. This graphic, with its color coding and pattern variations, makes it easy to see the vast concentration of the Negro population in the Southern U.S. versus the rest of the country. One piece of information that’s missing is the year and/or date range that this map references, although I assume it references a range similar to the other plates (i.e. 1890’s). Nevertheless, providing that data would be informative and would help to accurately place this map in context to the other plates presented.

Plate 10: I find this plate interesting because it provides a clear visual representation of the differences in life trajectories of someone from Germany compared to a Black American. The data seems to represent the fact that Black Americans have a much higher likelihood of getting divorced or being widowed at a younger age, maybe due to the more difficult social and cultural conditions by which Black Americans lived during that time? In reference to those that are widowed, it can also point to a shorter expected life span of a Black American versus a person from Germany.

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Plate #16 & #20 “Negro Teachers in Georgia Public Schools” & “Land Owned by Negroes in Georgia 1870-1900.”

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Plate #16 & #20 “Negro Teachers in Georgia Public Schools” & “Land Owned by Negroes in Georgia 1870-1900.”

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I liked the visual in plate # 16 because it was elegant in its simplicity and clarity. It was incredibly specific. For example: 2512 blacks teachers. To me this shows that every single one of them mattered, was respected and accounted for. That each person and their work and impact had meaning and importance. We miss so much when we “round up” or “round down” or approximate.

Plate #20 is a beautiful map. To me it looks hopeful and powerful emphasizing the importance again of every single acre in a county; never rounded up or rounded down. I wonder about the number of acres owned by white people in each county by contrast. I think it is proud and appropriate that these comparisons are not listed. I also wonder about how many black people owned 277 acres for example & I also wonder about why in one county black people owned 277 acres and in a neighboring county black people owned 17,692 acres.

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Plate 14, titled "Illiteracy" shows the decreasing illiteracy rate of Black individuals in Georgia from 1860 to 1890, including a projection in 1900 which is noted with a question mark. Instead of using a standard bar graph, the lattice structure presents this idea of something in action, something being woven (and with increasing success given the rate of expansion) and I think this concept of motion, paired with the projection that the the illiteracy rate would continue to decrease, illustrates the powerful belief of Du Bois and his team that Black individuals are taking control of their futures and weaving their way to literacy, weaving their way forward.

Plate 12, titled "Slaves and Free Negroes" shows the percentage of free Black people in the state of Georgia, chronologically, between 1790 and 1870. This plate is striking for a number of reasons, beginning with how the horizontal scale showing the percentage of free Black people only goes from 0 to 3 percent, since that small range sufficiently captures the percentage of free Black individuals in Georgia up until the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The chart implements a jagged vertical edge to the left to represent beyond 3%, and it is just so powerful that this data is effectively represented by narrowing in on just 3%. To me, this visual illustrates yes, a monumental shift with the Emancipation Proclamation (from the benchmarks noted, the percentage of free Black people goes from .8% in 1860 to 100% in 1870), but a shift so striking that it causes one to reflect on how powerful one proclamation in and of itself can really can be in dismantling an entire society, and entire system, built on slavery and oppression.

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Plate 11 - City and Rural Population 1890

This line into a spiral graph shows the vast majority of negroes in 1890 lived in rural areas. The choice to display the lines of smaller data leading down a winding path into a spiral of the largest number does two things: one literal and one symbolic. In contrast to a traditional bar graph, the choice to group the data in a way that the eye can take it all in at once allows the reader to grasp the difference between small and large categories. It is often hard to display scaled data in a way to be consumed all at once, and this does so. Symbolically, the center of the image is the middle of the spiral of rural life, which can be followed through many cycles until you can step out above and climb to larger and larger communities. This could be interpreted as a vision of the available choices for negro citizens.

Plate 1 - The Georgia Negro

This color coded map connects regions of origin to locations of negro populations based on routes of African slave trade. What I find most striking is the extent to which an entire continent was pillaged to temporarily drive the economic growth of other regions around the world.

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Plate 19 shows the amount of land owned, in acres, by Black people living in Georgia from 1874 to 1899. The bold bars immediately tell a story of economic progress of Black people post-emancipation with land ownership as a strong indicator of prosperity. Interestingly, the bar graph when you step back does resemble “the shape of the state of Georgia itself” (Plate 19).

Plate 17 represents a visual depiction of the courses of study of Black students in Georgia schools. The double-curved bar immediately caught my attention and dramatically shows the high proportion of students engaged in studying industrial arts. I didn’t even notice the numerical data located to the left of the “bar” until I had looked at the plate multiple times. Du Bois also uses the curved bar beautifully with Plate 26, drawing the viewer’s eyes to the snaking bar showing the predominant occupation of Black people as agricultural workers.

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Plate 9:
This data visualization depicts the age distribution of black individuals in Georgia in comparison to the population of France. I found this plate striking because it demonstrates, on average, a shorter life expectancy for black individuals living in Georgia than French citizens. Only 1.6% of black Georgia residents attained age 70 or older versus 5% of the French. This graph made me consider the public health conditions of black individuals living in the south during this time, and the undeniable health implications from years of former servitude. The year that this data represents is unidentified, but because the Paris Exhibition took place in 1900 we can assume it represents a year closely preceding this date.

Plate 17: This plate is entitled, "Number of Negro Students Taking the Various Courses of Study Offered in Georiga Schools". Based on the description, the data represents the year 1900 and shows that courses of study focused on the industrial arts were by far the most popular among African American students. The bar graph utilizes Du Bois's signature snake-like curved line to ensure that all of the data is visible on a single page. The data in this graph makes me question whether students of color were afforded the agency of choice in selecting their courses of study, or whether they were influenced by (white) teachers, (white) administrators, or others, to pursue the industrial arts.

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Plate 11, "City and Rural Population 1890," and it's unexpected shape and spiral at the end, is one plate that captured my attention. It shows, at a glance, the distribution of the back population at that time, and in such a creative way. The main message of this graphic is that a much greater part of the black population at that time lived in rural spaces, spiraling the thick line around to denote the numbers and making it red to draw the eye immediately to it.

Plate 14, "Illiteracy," is another plate that I admired, also because of its novel design. It almost looks like a garden fence, it has a lattice-like design. It aids the eye in reading across, to follow the year by using the unfilled line, to the data, which is the filled black line. The plate conveys how illiteracy has dropped since enslavement, guessing at the 1900 percentage based on continuing at the same rate of decrease. The main message is that illiteracy is on the decrease, which is a different message and emphasis than if this chart were following the progress of literacy since enslavement, and especially pointed given the racist ideas popular at the time about black literacy and learning.

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I found both Plates 14 and 17 interesting for very similar reasons. I found that I was drawn most to the charts that I found visually intriguing which was likely an outcome Du Bois and his team was trying to achieve. These options come as a surprise to me as both are very basic in their shapes and do not use any of the vibrant colors found in other plates. I love modern day infographics full of images, colors, and statistics in varying sizes but these are none of those.

Plate 14 (Illiteracy) does have a unique design though even in its simplicity. At least, it is not something I have seen before. While the reduction to a 50% illiteracy rate is a great achievement it is still a very high number. However, it is quite the achievement, even if the number sayed closer to the 1890 mark of %67 to see that kind of change in so few years.

In Plate 17 (Number of Negro Students Taking the Various Courses of Study Offered in Georgia Schools) I loved the idea of creating a bar graph that curved downward. But, I did find it odd that they decided to not line up the bars so they had an even starting position for comparison.

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Plate 1

The main message of Plate 1 is the extent of the African Slave Trade on the populations of the Western Hemisphere. The plate shows the areas of Africa that he believed the majority of slaves originated from (represented in black) and the areas where fewer slaves were from (represented in grey). The plate also shows the areas where these slaves were trafficked to the “new world” showing the areas in North America, South America, and the Caribean where the highest concentrations of these people were enslaved.

I found this plate interesting because it sets up the historical context for an audience that may be unfamiliar with the history of the African Slave trade to the Americas. I found the inclusion of South America in this graphic to be most interesting. I appreciate DuBois’s inclusion of the Black population of South America in Brazil as it provides a greater context for the impact of the slave trade which we in America think of as a uniquely American phenomenon but that in actuality the African slave trade was also very impactful on the populations of both South America, namely Brazil, and the Caribbean.

Plate 9

The main message of Plate 9 is to compare the Black population of America to that of France. The graphic shows the age distribution in a bar graph for each age range comparing Blacks in the US and the French population. The message of the graph is to show the “robustness of the African American population”.

I found that the large percentage of Blacks under 30 (73.5%) compared to France (51.2%) to be very striking. I think that this is interesting that this discrepancy existed. Given that in 1890 most of these people would have been born after the end of the US Civil War, what impact of freedom had on birth rates. I also wonder if this is a function of shorter life spans for Blacks during slavery which would also be shown in the smaller percentage of the Black population that would have been born into slavery.

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The two plates I found most interesting were “Conjugal Condition”, Plate 10, and “Illiteracy”, Plate 14. I am interested in “Conjugal Condition” because it so simply shows how similar Black Americans are to White Europeans in terms of marriage rates. This helps to debunk some of the myths around marriage rates of Black Americans and the value laden judgements regarding marriage and family structures in the Black community. This plate contributes to “the core mission of Du Bois sociological research” which was “to forcefully refute the widespread belief that Black Americans were innately inferior and incapable of social advancement.” (p. 42) It is hard for White Europeans to say a group of people is inferior when those people look just like White European in this graphic display.

Similarly, “Illiteracy” shows linear decreases in illiteracy from 1860 through 1890. The projection that that trend would continue in 1900 is logical. I find this graph particularly interesting because of the way the data is shown. First, it is a simple linear regression that is visually more interesting than a line graph would be. Second, I find it interesting that the data is reflected in negative terms rather than in positive terms. The team could just have easily drawn this graph to reflect literacy growth instead of illiteracy decline. I suspect this was done purposely to show the worth and intellect of the Black community. As soon as slavery ended, Black illiteracy rates started to decline consistently each decade, suggesting that it was not the inherent intellectual capacity of the Black people that cause low literacy rates, but rather it was the unequal conditions and a lack of resources and education that led to 99% illiteracy in 1860.

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Plate 9

This plate is illustrating the age distribution of Georgia Negroes compared with France.  The chart breaks up the data into the following age groups: 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70, and 70-up.  According to the text, “the placement of Europeans and Georgia Negroes side by side using comparative data demonstrates the global status and robustness of the African American population.”  In examining the chart, the horizontal bar graphs successfully demonstrate the “robustness” of Georgia’s Negro population, but only up to a certain age.  Over half of the bar graphs illustrate lower population numbers for Georgia Negroes in comparison with France.  The decline in the Georgia Negro population, beginning at age 30, seems to present a grimmer and more pessimistic message than one of optimism; namely, that the Georgia Negro has a much shorter life span than her/his French counterpart.

We see in this chart that up until the age of 3O, the Georgia Negro population exceeds that of the French population.  However, after the age of 30, the Georgia Negro population steadily declines. The chart does not specify the year that the data was collected.  Assuming that this data was collected in the late 1890s, one has to wonder if the decline in the Georgia Negro population is related to the rise of domestic terrorist groups such as the Klu Klux Klan and the lynching of African American men.

Plate 14

This plate illustrates illiteracy rates among African Americans from 1860-1900.  It documents how illiteracy rates have declined with every passing decade and predicts that illiteracy will continue on a downward trajectory in the upcoming decade.

The use of black-and-white bars creates a powerful imagery.  The first apparent image is that of vertical black bars that are reminiscent of the bars of a cage or of a prison.  This could serve as a metaphor for the intellectual, political, and economic prisons that illiteracy creates.  It is also interesting that Du Bois chose to focus on illiteracy, which could be viewed as a negative feature, as opposed to highlighting literacy, which is often viewed in a positive light.  In other words, by choosing to display with tall vertical black bars the high illiteracy rates of African Americans (1860 = 99%, 1870 = 92.1%, 1880 = 81.6%, 1890 =67.27%), we can ‘see between the lines’ the devastating impact that slavery and Jim Crow laws have had on the lives of African Americans.  Namely, how for over 400 years the natural growth, development, and potential of African Americans has been obstructed by white racists.

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Plate 18 describes the increase in the "Value of Land Owned by Georgia Negroes"  by stacking vertically burlap sacks of slightly increasing size. The largest sack, at the bottom, appears to be about twice the size of the smallest sack, at the top. Plate 19 describes the increase in the "Acres of Land Owned by Negroes in Georgia" by using a bar graph, which quite beautifully results in a chart in the shape of the State of Georgia. When these two are taken together, one can see that the while the percent increase in the value of land held and the number of acres of land held are relatively close (approximately 233% to 213%, respectively), the graphics seem to want to tell a different story. The burlap sacks barely double in size, while the red bars appear to more than triple in size. And the colors and forms chosen also seem to belie the statistics when compared with each other: soft brown burlap sacks resting gently in the center of the page versus powerful red bars jutting rightward, consuming the full width of the paper. Did Du Bois want to highlight the increase in ownership of land by Blacks without frightening whites with the real monetary impact of that fact? It is also interesting that he chose to share the monetary value of the land first, as if he wanted whites to feel comfortable with the amount of the increase in value of the land before being confronted with the reality of the tremendous increase in land ownership by Blacks in roughly 25 years.