There isn’t an organization today that doesn’t use the language, we are data-driven. Data underpins many aspects of our lives. As such, the integrity of data is vital. Yet, historical, and ongoing biases embedded in statistical data continue to skew perceptions and policies, disproportionately affecting African American communities. From discriminatory insurance practices to law enforcement and beyond, the ramifications of these biases are not only harmful but possibly aid in the continuation of generational struggles of vulnerable populations. There is a critical need for awareness and corrective measures. In May 1896, just 33 years after the Civil War, Frederick L. Hoffman, a statistician for the Prudential Life Insurance Company, published a 330-page treatise in the Publications of the American Economic Association. His work, a supposedly detailed actuarial study, claimed to prove with statistical accuracy that African Americans were uninsurable. In his study, Hoffman claimed that A...
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