NCCU School of Library and Information Science Examines Racial Bias in Property Records

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DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University School of Information and Library Science (SLIS) is working with the Durham County Register of Deeds and Data Works NC software company to transcribe historic property deeds reflecting land-use practices from the city’s past. 

The goal is to create a public collection of transcribed property deeds containing racial covenant clauses with geo-referencing to indicate the role of covenant restrictions in shaping segregation and housing patterns in neighborhoods throughout Durham, said Alexandra Chassanoff, Ph.D., SLIS assistant professor who is leading the work. 

The year-long Hacking into History project was funded through the U.S. Institute for Information and Library Services through its Civic Switchboard: Connecting Libraries and Community Information Networks program.  

“The Civic Switchboard program funds projects that look to expand the role of libraries in civic engagement and literacy efforts,” Chassanoff said. “This helps citizens become more aware of what’s going on around them and teaches them to use tools and technology for education and empowerment.”  

Chassanoff is working with SLIS graduate research assistants Genevia Chamblee-Smith and Michelle Tackabery on the project, a citizen-science exercise that primarily will examine property deeds recorded between 1890 and 1948, when covenants were ruled legally unenforceable, Chassanoff said. Similar collaborations are happening across the country in cities like Minneapolis, Hartford and Seattle.  

The public is invited to participate in a Racial Covenants Hackathon from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. In addition to learning about the effort, volunteers will be asked to review and transcribe deeds to track the use of racial covenant clauses across Durham. Onsite training and support will be available to volunteers. 

The session will focus on the period between 1890 and the 1940s, when many property deeds in Durham included ownership restrictions based on race. A second session is planned for a later date.  

To sign up for the session or learn more about the project, send an email to: https://hackingintohistory.wordpress.com/contact/ 

North Carolina Central University prepares students to succeed in the global marketplace. Consistently ranked as a top Historically Black College or University and regional university in the south, NCCU offers flagship programs in the sciences, educa​tion, law, business, nursing and the arts. Founded in 1910, NCCU remains committed to diversity in and access to higher education. Our alumni excel in a wide variety of academic and professional fields. NCCU is a constituent institution of the University North Carolina System. The university’s Strategic Plan 2019-2024, “Charting a New Landscape for Student-Center Success,” has four goals: student access and success; innovation, research and entrepreneurship; collaboration and partnerships; and institutional sustainability. Visit www.nccu.edu.