W.E.B. Dubois data visualization challenge 2025

organized by the Data Visualization Society

with Matplotlib by nambo yang

"Either the United States will destroy ignorance or ignorance will destroy the United States."
W.E.B. Du Bois in Niagara Movement Speech, 1905

This annual challenge celebrates the data visualization legacy of W.E.B Du Bois at the 1900 Paris Exposition. Du Bois's aim was to demonstrate the economic development of Black people since emancipation in 1865. 160 later, this year's challenge will focus on visuals dealing with Economics.

My goal is to reproduce the 1900 plates using Python and librairies sticking as close as I can to the original. There are 10 charts over 10 weeks which will appear below alongside the original as they are take shape.

More info about the competition here

Link to my Git

Week 1
Value of Land Owned by Georgia Negroes (plate 18)

Week 2
Acres of Land Owned by Negroes in Georgia (plate 19)

Week 3
Land Owned by Negroes in Georgia, USA, 1870-1900 (plate 20)

Week 4
Valuation of Town and City Property Owned by Georgia Negroes (plate 21)

Week 5
Assessed Valuation of all Taxable Property Owned by Georgia Negroes (plate 22)

Week 6
Negro Property in Two Cities of Georgia (plate 23)

Week 7
Assessed Value of Household and Kitchen Furniture Owned by Georgia Negroes (plate 25)

Week 8
Occupations Of Georgia Negroes (plate 26)

Week 9
Occupations Of Negroes And Whites In Georgia (plate 27)

Week 10
Income and Expenditure (plate 31)