One thing that is certain is that space and time are interconnected and Neatline highlights this relationship. Neatline allows one to not only read but travel within a given narrative. In order to create such a project, one would need to create a (specific as possible) timeline, fixed points that give temporal understanding to what is being highlighted. And of course, one would need the locations of where specific events occurred, whether that be within one city, many cities, states, etc. Similar to the “Black Liberation 1969 Archive” project, it would help to also have broad information, setting the stage to then allow users to zoom into the map, diving into the story being told. Depending on the time period of analysis, one might need to examine older maps and determine similarities and differences between those and present maps. A prime example of this would be Detroit’s Black Bottom neighborhood, which was torn down in its entirety with no remnants of the booming businesses left (since a lot of it is now a highway). Primary resources, especially ones that can be digitized, would also be a welcome presence to further support the project narrative, making all the available (and reliable) information about it as accessible as possible.
Detroit’s 1967 riot would be a perfect event to display in a digital humanities project, through the use of Neatline. Another historical and commemorative event that could be analyzed and displayed using Neatline would be Juneteenth (how it happened and how it spread). For Juneteenth, one could highlight the story of how the “last” slaves in the United States (specifically in Galveston, Texas), were finally freed. One could narrate the journey and timeline of the Union army journey to Galveston, how the remaining African Americans in that area were released, where they dispersed, as well as how commemorations spread from Galveston throughout the rest of the country. Neatline would be incredibly helpful with this dynamic way of showcasing history.
Amber Sophia 