DOI: 10.3886/icpsr39061.v1
title: Memorialization and Community Project, Alabama, 2018 - 2019
title: Version 1

description: 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
description: 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.
description: 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.
description: 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.
description: 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
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Survey Public Data
DS2: Survey Restricted Data
DS3: Crime Public Data
DS4: Crime Restricted Data
description: Smallest Geographic Unit: Block number
description: mail questionnaire; web-based survey