Memorialization and Community Project, Alabama, 2018 - 2019 (ICPSR 39061)
Version Date: Feb 24, 2025 View help for published
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s)
Ashley V. Reichelmann, Virginia Tech University;
James E. Hawdon, Virginia Tech University;
John Ryan, Virginia Tech University
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR39061.v1
Version V1
Summary View help for Summary
This study focuses on understanding how the National Memorial for Peace and Justice (NMPJ), the first large-scale memorial to black or African American victims of lynching, affects the immediate community surrounding it. Memorialization in the United States has been a growing trend over the past few decades. To date, there has been limited research on how memorials affect relationships between groups and how they impact the attitudes and behaviors of individuals. This study explores how the representation of past racial violence is interpreted and responded to by those who regularly interact with it. The study helps to understand better how the practice of memorialization mediates how our nation grapples with the darkest moments of its past.
The data include the following:
- Survey data: A four-wave longitudinal survey of the local city's residents was conducted pre- and post NMPJ's opening to capture social and political attitudes. Additionally, a two-wave longitudinal survey was conducted with two comparison groups in Alabama
- Secondary data: Montgomery City Police Department crime data concerning reported incidents that occurred between Oct. 27, 2017 and Oct. 31, 2018. The collection was restricted to incidents that occurred within two miles of NMPJ
- Secondary data: Links to and metadata of 619 American media stories in English addressing NMPJ, which were published between Aug. 16, 2016 and Jan. 17, 2020
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Subject Terms View help for Subject Terms
Geographic Coverage View help for Geographic Coverage
Smallest Geographic Unit View help for Smallest Geographic Unit
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Restrictions View help for Restrictions
This data collection may not be used for any purpose other than statistical reporting and analysis. Use of these data to learn the identity of any person or establishment is prohibited. To protect respondent privacy, some of the data files in this collection are restricted from general dissemination. To obtain these restricted files researchers must agree to the terms and conditions of a Restricted Data Use Agreement.
Distributor(s) View help for Distributor(s)
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Date of Collection View help for Date of Collection
Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose
This study explored how the representation of past racial violence is interpreted and responded to by those who regularly interact with it. The goal of the project is to help researchers understand better how the practice of memorialization mediates how the United States grapples with the darkest moments of its past.
Study Design View help for Study Design
Addresses were collected from a mailing list purchased from Exact Data. This list was generated by the company's random selection of addresses that they have for the particular location in question. The purchase came with addresses as well as any accompanying emails.
The Montgomery data collection was conducted on both paper and online format, while the comparison samples were only conducted online. Only one contact attempt was made for the paper distribution, while three contact attempts were made for online distribution: the initial survey and two reminders. After the first wave, some paper respondents provided their email addresses. For this reason, the numbers will not equal 100%. Some of them had to receive both paper and email versions due to complications.
The comparison samples were collected via a Qualtrics online survey using a panel sample from Survey Sampling International. Four waves were collected from the Montgomery data collection site, while two were collected from the wider comparison samples. The second wave for the wider comparison sample was collected at the same time as the third wave of the primary site (September 2018), but for the purposes of the data comparison is listed as _3 (or wave 3) since it allows for the appropriate time comparison.
The compensation for participation was a total of $30 in gift cards: $10 after Wave 1, $10 after Wave 3, and $10 after Wave 4.
Sample View help for Sample
Wave 1 (March 2018)
Total contacted: 10,186 distinct addresses acquired
Mail contacts total: 6,640 addresses attempted
- 1,656 returned to sender
- 58 checked "do not consent"
- 164 surveys completed
Email contacts total: 3,746 email addresses attempted
- 305 emails returned to sender
- 104 surveys started
- 2 checked "do not consent"
- 2 did not meet the residential qualification
- 79 surveys completed
Wave 2 (May/June 2018)
- Mail contacts total: 130 addresses attempted; 94 surveys completed
- Email contacts total: 107 email addresses attempted; 62 surveys started; 59 surveys completed
Wave 3 (September 2018)
- Mail contacts total: 77 addresses attempted; 55 surveys completed
- Email contacts total: 60 email addresses attempted; 47 surveys started; 43 surveys completed
Wave 4 (January 2019)
- Mail contacts total: 56 addresses attempted; 47 surveys completed
- Email contacts total: 42 email addresses attempted; 36 surveys started; 34 surveys completed
Time Method View help for Time Method
Unit(s) of Observation View help for Unit(s) of Observation
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Mode of Data Collection View help for Mode of Data Collection
Description of Variables View help for Description of Variables
The Survey Data has variable that ask about respondents' opinions about the memorial, their experiences with it, their opinions about race, and demographic information about themselves, such as race, age, gender, class, and education level. The Crime Restricted Data has variables about what kind of crime occurred and when and where it occurred.
HideOriginal Release Date View help for Original Release Date
2025-02-24
Version History View help for Version History
2025-02-24 ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Created variable labels and/or value labels.
Notes
These data are freely available to data users at ICPSR member institutions. The curation and dissemination of this study are provided by the institutional members of ICPSR. How do I access ICPSR data if I am not at a member institution?
One or more files in this data collection have special restrictions. Restricted data files are not available for direct download from the website; click on the Restricted Data button to learn more.
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.