ABSTRACT
In 1987, Barbara Christian responded to the emergence of “theory” in the academy with a critique of its tendency to erase Black feminist thought. She articulated how a shift in academic discourse was being wielded to the exclusion of women of color, denying their agency as producers of knowledge. Taking up the question of what intersectional feminist data visualization looks like, this chapter situates the stakes of intersectional feminist data visualization, discusses why it is critical now, and offers five precepts for undertaking it to more fully realize the power of data visualization for multiply minoritized communities. Unlike theory and digital humanities, with their specialized language that is challenging to those who are not steeped in academic discourse, data visualization is unique in its producers and audiences. Data visualization is a method that crosses over between academy and industry, between scholar and practitioner, between professional and amateur.
