Introduction: The Politics and Ethics of Naming the Names of Enslaved People in Digital Humanities Projects

This introduction provides a broad overview to the context of digital humanities projects dealing with enslaved people and frames the debate over the ethics and politics of using the names of enslaved people. For some descendant communities, listing the names of enslaved people contributes to searches for genealogical connections; for other communities where the stigma of enslaved descent still prevails, such projects may do harm. This introduction explores these issues in relationship to the articles included in this special collection.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Digital humanities quarterly
Published
2025-04-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.63744/unxwmpbqqgmd
Primary Topic
Digital Humanities and Scholarship
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Introduction: The Politics and Ethics of Naming the Names of Enslaved People in Digital Humanities Projects

Walter Hawthorne, Fatoumata Seck, Richard Roberts, Rebecca Wall
Digital humanities quarterly
Digital Humanities and Scholarship
article

Introduction: The Politics and Ethics of Naming the Names of Enslaved People in Digital Humanities Projects

Walter Hawthorne, Fatoumata Seck, Richard Roberts, Rebecca Wall
article en

Abstract

This introduction provides a broad overview to the context of digital humanities projects dealing with enslaved people and frames the debate over the ethics and politics of using the names of enslaved people. For some descendant communities, listing the names of enslaved people contributes to searches for genealogical connections; for other communities where the stigma of enslaved descent still prevails, such projects may do harm. This introduction explores these issues in relationship to the articles included in this special collection.

Digital humanities quarterlyVol. 19(1)
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Digital Humanities and Scholarship
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.