Geometry, Technology, and Power in 8th Grade Math

In 8th grade math, we took some time this past week to examine how geometry interacts with technology, and thus power. We talked about where geometry shows up in the world and students came up with ideas like: engineering, architecture, art, and more. Then we talked about facial recognition technology and its uses and implications. Throughout many classes, we read, listened, and discussed the use of AI and facial recognition technology as it especially pertained to policing.

It started with watching a YouTube primer about facial recognition. Students had a lot of connections to make with what happens with their own devices and in their own lives. But they were also curious as to how else it shows up in the world, especially law enforcement/surveillance.  

Next, in order to get more familiar with how police would look for suspects prior to facial recognition technology, we read A New York Civil Liberties report on the disproportionate use of stop-and-frisk against young people of color in New York City. The students were not surprised to learn about this history, but many had a question as to why this would be the case. It was a cause for more investigation into history, and we looked at the wording on the 13th Amendment:

“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." 

In other words, slavery was banned in the USA after the Civil War, unless you were convicted of a crime, and then you could be forced to do labor for no compensation. Thus, it became common practice, if not necessity, to criminalize the existence of people of color, to serve as a free labor source.

We read this article from the MIT technology review that details a case from Detroit in 2020 when Robert Williams was misidentified by a computer and then arrested for robbery of a jewelry store while at his home. We connected the dots from a facial recognition technology that is measurably worse at identifying faces with more melanin to a police force that is prone to -- overtly or covertly -- disproportionately police people of color. The justification brought by the Detroit police was to say that they weren't racist, but rather that the computer was poorly trained. They blamed poor geometry skills for the crimes of institutionalized racism. 

Finally, we invited Synphany Bates Zale, the Super Primes teacher and JED liaison for the school, to come and lead a discussion in our class. They shared about their own experiences with stop-and-frisk, arrest, and lack of civil rights as a person of color living in the USA. Students listened and chimed in here and there as we unfurled more of the history of policing, and connected it the present moments that jarr us so. Math is a part of justice and injustice too. Thanks to Synphany for coming to teach the Uppers!