Digital Humanities and the Infrastructures of Race in African-American Literature

FAIN: FEL-273927-21

Amy Elizabeth Earhart
Texas A & M University, College Station (College Station, TX 77843-0001)

Research and preparation of a digital publication studying how digital tools and methods employed for literature studies may reflect biases built into the technological infrastructure.

This project examines how technological infrastructure and algorithms interact with African-American authored literary texts to construct and deconstruct racial identities. By employing multiple lenses of data, digital tools, and analysis, the project reveals how seemingly naturalized technological infrastructures impact meaning through an interactive Scalar project and reposited data, visualizations and project documents for use and remix. Further, the digital project is designed to explore questions of preservation and open data, particularly important to Black literary studies where we continue to struggle to represent the fullness of cultural expression within current infrastructures.

Associated Products

The Millican massacre module, Introduction to African American Literature (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: The Millican massacre module, Introduction to African American Literature
Author: Amy Earhart
Abstract: Grant funded work on the Millican massacre has allowed me to develop additional project based components for an Introduction to African American Literature class. Students will learn research and digital literacy skills.
Year: 2021
Audience: Undergraduate

Summer Research Fellowship, Graduate Student Research Assistant. (Staff/Faculty/Fellow Position)
Name: Summer Research Fellowship, Graduate Student Research Assistant.
Abstract: I successfully applied for the funding for a summer research fellowship for a graduate assistant through Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research, Texas A&M University. The student worked with the Jean Toomer Cane materials and the Anthology database, learning valuable technological skills that will serve the student as they progress in their career.
Year: 2021

Undergraduate Professional and Research Experience Program (Staff/Faculty/Fellow Position)
Name: Undergraduate Professional and Research Experience Program
Abstract: I applied for and received funding for an Undergraduate Professional and Research Experience Program (UPREP) project award to support an undergraduate student research, “Editing Jean Toomer’s Cane.” The student worked closely with me to edit and apply markup to Cane, learning valuable skills that will serve them in their career path.
Year: 2021

“Born-Digital Scholarly Publishing: Resources and Roadmaps.” NEH Institute on Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities. (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: “Born-Digital Scholarly Publishing: Resources and Roadmaps.” NEH Institute on Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities.
Author: Amy Earhart
Abstract: I have been invited to participate in the “Born-Digital Scholarly Publishing: Resources and Roadmaps” NEH Institute on Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities to be held in July 2022. This conference will allow me to further develop the digital project with support from the conference leaders.
Date Range: 2022
Location: Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

Grant Funding (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Grant Funding
Author: Amy Earhart
Abstract: I have presented a talk on obtaining grant funding at the Mellon Center for Faculty Excellence, Prairie View A&M University.
Date: 04/28/2022
Conference Name: Mellon Center for Faculty Excellence

“The Past, Present and Future of the Scholarly Edition.” (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: “The Past, Present and Future of the Scholarly Edition.”
Author: Amy Earhart
Abstract: I was the invited keynote speaker for the 200th anniversary James Fenimore Cooper’s The Spy conference at the American Antiquarian Society. During my talk I discussed the ongoing work on Cane.
Date: 5/15/2021
Conference Name: 200th anniversary James Fenimore Cooper’s The Spy conference.

“Revisiting the Millican project: Excavating race and institutional structures/power.” (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: “Revisiting the Millican project: Excavating race and institutional structures/power.”
Author: Amy Earhart
Author: Toniesha Taylor
Abstract: We were invited speaker for the Everywhere it is Machines Virtual Seminar. School of Culture and Digital Arts at Royal Holloway, University of London. The talk focused on the ongoing work with the Millican massacre component of the digital project.
Date: 03/01/2021
Conference Name: Everywhere it is Machines Virtual Seminar

---