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Cashawn Thompson, who is credited for coining the phrase “Black girls are magic” which was later shortened to Black Girl Magic, says in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that “at its core, the purpose of this movement is to create a platform where women of color can stand together against “the stereotyping, colorism, misogynoir and racism that is often their lived experience.” Julee Wilson, Fashion Senior Editor at Essence Magazine, reflects Thompson in her article written for HuffPost saying, “Black Girl Magic is a term used to illustrate the universal awesomeness of black women. It’s about celebrating anything we deem particularly dope, inspiring, or mind-blowing about ourselves.” (Wilson, 2016) Nielsen Media Research similarly defines #BlackGirlMagic as “a cross-platform gathering of empowered Black women who uplift each other and shine a light on the impressive accomplishments of Black women throughout the world, a hashtag which uncovers and addresses the daily racism that so / African American Studies

Traditionally, squaring the circle has been about bringing the incommensurable work of the gods within the realm of the commensurate by using infinite cosmic principles to regulate the finite world. The American architect Claude Bragdon (1866-1946) squared the circle using his Theosophic architectural theory that was based on a neo-Pythagorean emphasis on Number, which he believed to have contained the secret of the universe. America at the turn of the 20th century was interested in Eastern spirituality at the beginning of an age of scientific relativity when the world and universe were being questioned due to new scientific discoveries based on higher-dimensional mathematical speculations that challenged relationships between humankind and the cosmos. Paralleling this scientific search was the Western conquest of the world on earth, which brought back speculations about the Near and Far East, including translations of their ancient scriptures and encyclopedias of their architecture. The fourth dimension was an imaginary mathematical (re)creation of great interest to Bragdon and common to scientific relativity and Eastern spirituality; two cultural constructs that altered the perception of time and space to affect the American imagination and architectural production. Within this context, Squaring the Circle investigates the relationship of theory to practice by considering Bragdon's architecture as the material manifestation of his Theosophic architectural theory. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study is to analyze and understand why some Black women in Greensboro, North Carolina have made the decision to wear their hair naturally, in its original kinky, curly, non-straightened form. I’ve chosen this topic because “in our society, long straight hair has generally been considered the gold standard for attractiveness” (Rosette & Dumas, 2007, p. 410) and by deviating from that gold standard, Black women are affected, personally and politically. In my perspective, it is important to understand why a woman would opt to make this choice, knowing the potential backlash she faces (i.e. losing her job, rejection in a romantic relationship, or school suspension). To facilitate this purpose, the guiding research inquiries included 10 questions about the woman’s hair journey, at different stages of her life: before perming, while perming, and going natural. In speaking with 10 women from three different generations, I found that the process of going natural is at once complex and simple, is simultaneously gradual and instant, both terrifying and liberating. Ultimately, I learned that even though various factors play a part in this process, “going natural” is a decision mostly directed and determined by the woman standing in the mirror. / MS

In an era of increasingly complex data, the balance between detailed information presentation and maintaining an overview during visualisation is crucial. This thesis investigates the application of the ´magic lens' technique to network visualisations, specifically focusing on visualising dynamic network attributes such as temporal node changes and evolving network topology. Traditional network visualisation methods often struggle to reveal underlying multivariate characteristics, necessitating more innovative approaches like focus plus context visualisations. The lens is also to be used for comparison between different parts of the network, where multivariate node attributes and dynamic network topology is integrated. Our research aims to enhance the usability and effectiveness of network visualisations by integrating a magic lens for dynamic data exploration. This study re-implements and extends the Network Lens tool using modern web technologies (Cytoscape.js and D3.js) and conducts a user study to evaluate its design and functionality. The research questions address essential design requirements for a comparison lens, methods for integrating temporal network comparisons within the magic lens, and user preference for different visual representations. Through careful study and implementation, we identify key design requirements for effective comparison lenses, including intuitive node selection, multi-selection comparison, and longitudinal observation capabilities. The dynamic network topology was visualised using a timeline representation, positioned adjacent to the main lens to maintain clarity and ease of use. User evaluations highlighted the practicality of dual-lens setups for side-by-side comparison, although initial usability of the dynamic display suggests room for refinement. Three visual representations - bar charts, parallel coordinates plots, and star plots - were integrated within the magic lens to enhance multivariate data exploration. User feedback indicated a preference for bar charts due to their straightforward interpretation, despite their limitations in displaying small relative values. Parallel coordinates plot were favoured at second place for their ability to maintain visual clarity across a range of values, while star plots, though less preferred, were recognised for their potential in displaying numerous dimensions. Future work should extend the tool's application to real-world datasets, incorporate dynamic nominal data, and explore alternative dynamic display methods. Broader user studies across various domains will further validate andrefine the tool, ensuring its effectiveness and adaptability for diverse data visualisation needs. / I en tid av allt mer komplex data är balansen mellan detaljerad informationspresentation och upprätthållande av överblick under visualisering avgörande. Detta projekt undersöker tillämpningen av den "magiska linsen"-tekniken för nätverksvisualiseringar, speciellt med fokus på visualisering av dynamiska nätverksattribut såsom temporala nodförändringar och förändrande nätverkstopologi. Traditionella nätverksvisualiseringsmetoder har ofta besvär för att avslöja underliggande multivariata egenskaper, vilket kräver mer innovativa tillvägagångssätt som fokus och kontextvisualiseringar. Linsen ska också användas för jämförelse mellan olika delar av nätverket, där multivariata nodattribut och dynamisk nätverkstopologi är integrerade. Vår forskning syftar till att förbättra användbarheten och effektiviteten av nätverksvisualiseringar genom att integrera en magisk lins för dynamisk datautforskning. Den här studien omimplementerar och utökar verktyget Network Lens med modern webbteknologi (Cytoscape.js och D3.js) och genomför en användarstudie för att utvärdera dess design och funktionalitet. Forskningsfrågorna tar upp väsentliga designkrav för en jämförelselins, metoder för att integrera tidsmässiga nätverksjämförelser inom den magiska linsen och användarpreferenser för olika visuella representationer. Genom noggranna studier och implementering identifierar vi nyckeldesignkrav för effektiva jämförelselinser, inklusive intuitivt nodval, jämförelse med flera val och longitudinella observationsmöjligheter. Den dynamiska nätverkstopologin visualiserades med hjälp av en tidslinjerepresentation, placerad intill huvudlinsen för att bibehålla klarhet och användarvänlighet. Användarutvärderingar lyfte fram det praktiska i funktionen med dubbla linser för jämförelse sida vid sida, även om den initiala användbarheten av den dynamiska displayen antyder utrymme för förfining. Tre visuella representationer - stapeldiagram, parallella koordinater och stjärndiagram - integrerades i den magiska linsen för att förbättra multivariat datautforskning. Användarfeedback indikerade en preferens för stapeldiagram på grund av deras enkla tolkning, trots deras begränsningar i att visa små relativa värden. Parallella koordinater gynnades på andra plats för dens förmåga att bibehålla visuell klarhet över en rad värden, medan stjärndiagram, även om de var mindre föredragna, erkändes för sin potential i att visa många dimensioner. Framtida arbete bör utvidga verktygets tillämpning till datauppsättningar i verkliga världen, inkludera dynamiska nominella data och utforska alternativa dynamiska visningsmetoder. Bredare användarstudier över olika domäner kommer att ytterligare validera och förfina verktyget, vilket säkerställer dess effektivitet och anpassningsförmåga för olika datavisualiseringsbehov.