To be honest, the presentation from Counter-Cartographies Collective did not reverse my skepticism towards mapping as an effective means of activism. I found many of their maps, especially the “disorientation guides” convoluted, not visually appealing, and geared towards highly specific audiences. The map of buildings, statues, and other names on campus revealed that most honored figures were not women or people of color, but the stagnant map made it difficult to clearly distinguish the location of each memorial. The Skype presenters, however, made interactive maps that I found much more user-friendly and engaging. By adding a radius and timeline around each point of eviction, one could clearly see the acceleration of evictions, concentrated in certain areas. I also found the personal stories attached to certain points very effective because they put faces to the data.
Over this week, other examples of mapping discussed in class and and in Tools for Grassroots Activists have also proved to me the many ways that mapping can be utilized as an activist tool. One particular point we touched was paying attention to what isn’t represented on a map, and how changing that can shift perspective. For example, adding sacred Native American and religious sites around rivers and natural landmarks brings in a human element that geographical maps typically exclude. In Tools for Grassroots Activists, they discussed multiple movements that used Google Maps to show change of one area over time. Although I now understand the power of mapping, I think that clarity and the element of time make them much easier to absorb and more interesting.
