Redefining Data Science: Where Transformative Youth Organizing Meets Arts-Based Abolitionist Education

Abstract

Data science courses often exclude engagement with minoritized groups, discouraging these students from persuing this field. Our Data Activism Program for African American students integrated arts-based abolitionist education and transformative youth organizing. Students collaborated with four community organizations, conducting interviews and surveys to engage with their community and highlight racial disparities in environmental injustice. Post-course surveys and interviews showed an increase in students' ability to apply transformative youth organizing to data science, demonstrating real-world impact. They found the program accessible and meaningful, transforming data science into a tool for self-expression, critical analysis, and activism rather than just an academic subject.