Abstract

"Recovering Black Bottom: Using GIS to Recreate Detroit’s Historic Black Business Community"

Kendra Boyd, Rutgers University, Camden (kendra.boyd@rutgers.edu)

This presentation focuses on a digital humanities project I am developing related to mapping Detroit’s historic Black business community. This project will recreate the vibrant African American business landscape that existed prior to the urban renewal and highway construction projects of the 1950s and 1960s, through an interactive digital map and website that brings together historical map research, census data, and digitized print media to illuminate the economic and personal impact of racialized urban planning policies in Detroit.