Mapping Prejudice Paper Assignment
Minnesota History
Summer 2024
Professor Janke
In this class we will be learning about residential segregation and the role
that racially restrictive covenants played in that segregation. As part of
this assignment, you will be contributing to a larger community research project
called the Mapping Prejudice Project, which relies on volunteers to categorize
racial covenants which are then mapped in order to understand the lasting impact
of such covenants. Currently the Mapping Prejudice project is working on
deeds from Anoka County, so you might come across some places you recognize!
In Minnesota History, we cover this topic in depth during Week 5 and we will be
watching a documentary about it titled "Jim Crow of the North." The Week
5 materials will provide the necessary background information for you to
understand racial covenants and write this paper. If you've already
completed Week 5, look back over your notes and discussion posts to refresh your
memory. If you are working on this paper before Week 5 I would encourage
you to go ahead and keep working on coding, but wait until after Week 5 to
submit your final draft, just in case you wish to incorporate what you've
learned into your reaction paper.
For this paper you will follow the steps listed below and at the end you will write a 2 page paper reacting to your experiences (The length of the paper is shorter than the other paper options in this class to compensate for the work you will be putting in to learn about the classification process and complete the coding.) This is less of a formal paper and more of a response/reaction to your work coding the documents.
Complete the following steps to get started volunteering with the Mapping Prejudice project:
STEP #1. Learn how to classify deeds. If possible, I recommend joining one of their virtual training sessions, where you and other volunteers will learn about the process and get started with some deeds. You can register for sessions here at "Attend an Event." https://mappingprejudice.umn.edu/take-action/events?page=0. Two possible dates listed here; others may be added.
Scroll down and choose Step 1: Watch our Training Video. This video is very helpful and explains how to register and how to code. Linda's tip: Keep the video open on one tab as you complete the registration process and get started coding. You can replay the video as needed. Once you are logged into Zooniverse there will be some required training modules. They are very helpful, so make sure to complete them!
STEP #2: Go to Zooniverse.org and set up an account as explained in the training video and/or you will learn about this during your session. After this you're ready to go!
STEP #3: Code a total of 20 deeds. This will be the most time-consuming part of this assignment. Linda's tip: Set aside enough time to really focus on doing this important work. Doing a half-serious job could result in incorrectly coded deeds and make more work for the folks at Mapping Prejudice. Linda is happy to Zoom and screen share with you if you need extra help with this part of the task. Linda's tips:
*Some of the documents will be confusing; it's just the
nature of sifting through thousands and thousands of legal documents. Take
your time and read carefully. Some of the documents will be unrelated and
do not contain racial covenants. Just click and move on. Some of the
documents will contain covenants and it will be easy to fill out the
information. Others will contain covenants but have unclear answers to the
questions. As I said, take your time.
*Don't be afraid to click on "NEED SOME HELP WITH THIS TASK" as it will give you
some very helpful examples and explanations.
*The MP website has a Talk/Help area where you can search for your question or
post your question for someone to answer. Linda figured out several of her
confusing deeds by searching for the relevant terms. Click here:
https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/mappingprejudice/mapping-prejudice/talk/1096
*Take a few notes while you're working. Having some examples of the language in the deeds will make writing the response paper easier.
STEP #4: Screen shot your Zooniverse account to demonstrate how many deeds you have coded. When you are logged in, at the top right of the screen you will see your Login name. Use the dropdown menu to go to your PROFILE and then click on YOUR STATS button in the middle of the screen. You will see a report on the total number of classifications you have completed. Click here to see an image of my stats so you'll know what to look for. You can then screenshot or use your print function to create a pdf attachment of the page. You can share your screenshot/PDF in whatever way is easiest for you. You can attach it to the end of your paper or upload it separately into the Assignment Dropbox. Or you can post it in a message in your Contact Linda forum.
STEP #5: Write a 2 double-spaced page reaction paper. This is not a formal academic paper so I will not be evaluating it for a thesis statement, evidence, etc. Instead I am looking for you to describe your work process, your reactions to it, and your thoughts about how doing this work illuminated the historical topics. You may certainly write more than 2 pages if you have more thoughts to share. When finished, upload to the Assignment Dropbox on D2L.
In your paper, answer some or all of these questions: [You may choose which to write about -- I'm just looking for a description of your work process, some reflection, and a conclusion about the legacy.]
*How did the process of coding go for you? Was it relatively easy to figure out? Did you have any really strange or difficult documents? Did you have some documents that were pretty easy to figure out? Did the process get easier as you went along? Did you ask for help at any point along the way?
*Next, reflect upon the deeds themselves. What did they say? Your paper should describe the examples you noted while working. What strikes you about the documents? Were you surprised by what you found? What groups were restricted by the covenants and what language did they use? How is reading the actual legal documents (what historians call primary sources) different from just learning about this history from other sources, such as reading about them in a textbook?
*Finally, conclude with a paragraph or two reflecting on what you think is the legacy of these covenants today. Why should we study and learn about these? How did helping to research actual deeds help you achieve a more complex understanding of some of the concepts we have learned about? (such as red-lining or residential segregation.)