Kristal Raheem selected for 2026 Data Institute

Kristal Raheem selected for 2026 Data Institute Oakland Voices alumni lately attended the Ida B.

Key points

• Wells Society co-sponsors the institute with the Center for Journalism & Democracy at Howard University.
• Raheem, an Oakland-based freelance journalist, was chosen from a pool of roughly 200 applicants.
• Oakland Voices alum Kristal Raheem lately participated in the Ida B.
• For her final presentation, Raheem developed a webpage featuring a quote from pioneering journalist and sociologist Ida B.

Kristal Raheem selected for 2026 Data Institute Oakland Voices alumni lately attended the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting's 2026 Data Institute.

Oakland Voices alum Kristal Raheem lately participated in the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting's 2026 Data Institute, a nationally competitive training program for journalists.

Raheem, an Oakland-based freelance journalist, was chosen from a pool of roughly 200 applicants. The two-week institute, held at Howard University in Washington, D.C., brought together journalists from nationwide for hands-on instruction in data analysis, visualization, design, web scraping, and coding interactive projects.

Raheem remarked the institute assisted her consider how data can validate the lived experiences of her sources and place their personal stories within larger systems of oppression.

"I'm interested in writing more stories about survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking, " Raheem remarked. "When I listen to survivors, I'm always thinking regarding how their personal story might connect to the larger context of oppression in this country. Data helps me do that."

Notably, the program additionally encouraged participants to question the information they encounter. Raheem remarked one of its most notable lessons was that no dataset is perfect. Journalists must identify what is incomplete, inconsistent, or missing before relying upon it.

While researching her areas of interest, she discovered it challenging to locate current and consistent data from law enforcement agencies and administration websites.

"That's a story worth exploring, which is something I did not consider before joining the program, " she remarked.

For her final presentation, Raheem developed a webpage featuring a quote from pioneering journalist and sociologist Ida B. Wells: "The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them."

Raheem remarked the institute reminded her that she does not have to choose between journalism and sociology. She intends to continue investigating human trafficking, the criminalization of survivors, and missing-person cases while strengthening her ability to work with datasets and create data visualizations.

"As a journalist, the Data Institute gave me tools to continue shining a light on the darkest shadows of our society, " she remarked.

For context, the Ida B. Wells Society co-sponsors the institute with the Center for Journalism & Democracy at Howard University.

Please see the links in the byline above the story for more information regarding the authors of this articles.

In short, kristal Raheem selected for 2026 Data Institute is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.