The Law Trials #1
Preamble
I’m doing my best to process what I can do in these troubled times. I've been conversing with colleagues and family about the desire of those in power to erode the norms people have come to accept and heighten a sense of fear. Some key ideas I keep reminding myself and my friends.
Don’t pre-surrender. Most Americans believe in the rule of law. When it is violated, call your congressperson.
You cannot fight it all; a civil society depends on voters being aware. If you bother to read this, you are aware. Zero in on one or two issues and make them your focus. You can work at the local level and see the impact you want to have happen. You can spend time and money or pick (time or money). Your expertise matters, so consider how your skills can change things locally. Money can help organizations push for better policy, defend the accused, or promote accountability.
Your family/friends steeped in the alt-right vision are not enemies. Don’t get me wrong, some people are criminals, but part of the failure of politics is using negative references to make common-sense solutions seem crazy. When and if you are engaging with folks in your own life who believe the opposition, keep the focus on realities they can measure, not stories they have heard.
Having said that, what am I doing to follow my own rules? The title of this blog post is The Law Trials #1. Well, I teach and research about Afrofuturism. The recent push by the current administration to eliminate The Department of Education has force me to consider if the application of my Afrofuturist Laws for Generative AI can be put to use. I’m focusing on Chatgpt for this trial.
The Prompt
Use the laws you created to provide a pro-social intervention for public school facing funding lost described in this story -- https://www.npr.org/2025/03/21/nx-s1-5330917/trump-schools-education-department-cuts-low-income
The Output
The recent executive order by President Donald Trump to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education poses significant challenges for public schools, particularly those serving low-income and rural communities. The reduction of nearly half the department's workforce, especially within the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), threatens the allocation of essential federal funds like Title I and the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP).
In light of these developments, and guided by the Afrofuturist Laws for Generative AI emphasizing liberation-centered AI, data sovereignty, and counterpublic innovation, the following pro-social interventions are proposed:
1. Community-Driven Data Collection Platforms
Aligns with: First Law: Liberation-Centered AI
Empower local communities to develop and manage their own data collection systems to monitor educational needs and outcomes. By utilizing AI tools, communities can gather real-time data on student performance, resource allocation, and infrastructural requirements. This localized approach ensures that the unique challenges of each community are addressed, fostering self-determination and reducing reliance on federal data systems that may be compromised due to budget cuts.
2. Decentralized Funding Allocation Models
Aligns with: Second Law: Data Sovereignty and Transparency
Implement blockchain-based platforms to manage and distribute educational funds transparently. Such systems can ensure that allocated resources reach their intended destinations without mismanagement. By granting communities control over their financial data and transactions, these models promote data sovereignty and build trust among stakeholders.
3. AI-Powered Educational Resource Hubs
Aligns with: Third Law: Counterpublic Innovation and Cultural Affordance
Develop AI-driven platforms that curate and disseminate educational materials tailored to the cultural and contextual needs of marginalized communities. These hubs can provide lesson plans, teaching aids, and interactive content that reflect the lived experiences and histories of these communities, countering the erasure often perpetuated by mainstream curricula.
4. Virtual Collaborative Networks for Educators
Aligns with: Third Law: Counterpublic Innovation and Cultural Affordance
Create online platforms where educators from underfunded schools can collaborate, share resources, and support each other. By leveraging AI to facilitate connections and resource sharing, teachers can innovate and adapt to challenges collectively, ensuring that students receive quality education despite systemic obstacles.
5. Advocacy and Policy Simulation Tools
Aligns with: First Law: Liberation-Centered AI
Utilize AI to simulate the impacts of various policy decisions on marginalized communities. These tools can help advocates and policymakers visualize potential outcomes, promoting more equitable decision-making and highlighting the consequences of actions like defunding educational departments.
By implementing these interventions, communities can harness AI's potential to mitigate the adverse effects of federal education budget cuts, ensuring that marginalized populations continue to receive quality education and support.
Reactions
There are ideas that highlight the ways Afrofuturist ideological and techno-positive rhetoric can intersect in a general framework. These suggestions emphasize how technological disruption opens the door for information to be collected, analyzed, and implemented in ways that can empower marginalized actors. This approach builds on the perspective that technology can provide moments of egalitarian transformation. Sadly, recent policy and institutional actions put these assumptions into question. For the ideas to bear fruit, I must work with my AI instance to interrogate how resources, authority, and opportunity can hamper or enhance these pathways.
