Collaboration with Washington Post journalists on an interactive data visualization about the commemoration of Christopher Columbus.
In the wake of the murder of George Floyd in 2020, numerous monuments across the US were removed, defaced, taken down, or challenged. Monuments to Christopher Columbus were a particular site of contention. The Data + Feminism Lab worked with journalists from the Washington Post on a story about how the United States came to erect more than 150 monuments to Columbus and name more than 6,000 places after him – including cities, rivers, streets, schools and more. Our story traces the commemoration of Christopher Columbus in the landscape across three major phases, and highlights how resistance to “Columbianism” is not new. The story includes historical photos, maps and charts, along with an interactive visualization where users can search for Columbus commemorations in their locale.
Outcomes
The story was published on Oct. 11, 2021 in honor of Indigenous People’s Day.
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Principal Investigator
Catherine D’Ignazio
Students
Wonyoung So
Website
www.washingtonpost.com/history/ interactive/2021/christopher-columbus-monuments-america-map
Location
Online